Frank E. McDonald* and Timothy B. Towne ... Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208-31 13 ... Received July 28, 1995 Tandem syn-oxidative polycyclizations of acyclic hy- droxypolyenes represent efficient and possibly bio- mimetic1 strategies for the chemical synthesis of poly- ether natural products. Hydroxyl-directed syn-oxidative cyclizations of bishomoallylic alcohols provide access to trans- ...