Rapid Construction of the Scaffold of Quorumolide A Enabled by a Tandem ROM/RCM Strategy and a Tandem Oxidative Cyclization Strategy.

A synthetically challenging framework in the plant-derived cembranoid quorumolide A was established in a seven-step sequence featuring a ring-opening/-closing metathesis cascade reaction to construct the fused butenolide ring and the 14-membered macroring in a single step. The utilization of a tandem oxidative cyclization strategy is the key to build the tetrahydro-2H-pyran moiety.