Multi-Step Application of Immobilized Reagents and Scavengers: A Total Synthesis of Epothilone C

The total synthesis of the cytotoxic antitumour natural product epothilone C has provided a stage for the exploitation and further development of immobilized reagent methods. A stereoselective convergent synthetic strategy was applied, incorporating polymer‐supported reagents, catalysts, scavengers and catch‐and‐release techniques to avoid frequent aqueous work‐up and chromatographic purification. The combined application of immobilized reagents, catalysts and sequestering agents has been investigated as an advancing concept for multistep complex molecular assembly. This is illustrated in the context of synthetic routes to a convergent total synthesis of epothilone C (1).