Total synthesis of (-)-dolastatrienol

The first asymmetric total synthesis of the tricyclic diterpenoid natural product (-)-dolastatrienol has been accomplished using a rhodium(II)-catalyzed carbene cyclization cycloaddition cascade reaction as the key step to construct the [5.4.0]carbobicyclic core. An intramolecular Heck reaction furnished the tricyclic skeleton and a challenging methylenation completed the synthesis of the target.