The use of t-butyl acetothioacetate as a route to bis-β-ketomacrolides

Dianions from t-butyl acetothioacetate may be alkylated at the γ-carbon atom with suitably protected iodoalkanols to afford useful precursors for dimerisation to novel bis-β-ketomacrolides in the presence of copper(I) trifluoroacetate.