Notwithstanding the value of the disclosed methods to the academic pursuit of complex terpene total synthesis, nowhere is the study and utilization of linear terpenes more apparent than in the fragrance and flavor industry (>$30-billion-dollar per annum). Given the sensitivity of human olfactory receptors, single terpene isomers of high purity are desired to ensure precise flavor and fragrance profiles because small changes in structure can create very different properties. One class of terpene targets, nerolidol, seemed particularly relevant in this context. A unified, controllable synthesis of the linear terpenes (E)-and (Z)-nerolidol, produced naturally as a mixture of four isomers derived from nerol and geraniol, has remained an unanswered synthetic challenge for over four decades. Whereas their synthesis and separation have been explored, preparative methods of separation or synthesis are expensive and laborious. Indeed, the extreme price disparity between the racemic mixture of isomers (ca. $0.09/gram Sigma-Aldrich), and the geometrically pure racemate (trans: $610/g, Sigma-Aldrich; cis: $343-2460/gram, various suppliers) is cost-prohibitive while the enantiopure natural products are not commercially available. Despite the difficulty in purification, nerolidol is estimated to be used per annum in quantities between 10 to 100 metric tons and appears in products like shampoos, perfumes, detergents and as a flavor additive. The need for a selective and programmable synthesis of these four isomers stems from their differing fragrance profiles.