Synthesis 2006(9): 1461-1464  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-926418
PAPER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Practical and Efficient Synthesis of a Chiral C5 Building Block, 2-O-Allyl-d-arabinose, from Diacetone-d-glucose

Thomas Storz, Andrea Vasella*
Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
Fax: +41(44)6321136; e-Mail: vasella@org.chem.ethz.ch;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 6 December 2005
Publication Date:
04 April 2006 (online)

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Abstract

The first syntheses of a 2-O-allylpentose are described. Starting from d-arabinose (2), 2-O-allyl-d-arabinose (1) was obtained in 36-42% yield over five steps. A practical and efficient synthesis from cheap and abundant diacetone glucose yielded 56% of 1 over only three steps.

1

Current address: Thomas Storz, Amgen Inc., Chemical Process R&D, P. O. Box, One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-1799, USA.

8

On a relative scale, d-arabinose is ca. 60-70 times more expensive than d-glucose. [16]

11

In our hands, recrystallization from EtOH-EtOAc (7:6, 260 mL/60 g crude 3) proved superior to the EtOH-hexane recrystallization reported previously for this compound (Takeo et al. [3c] ).

12

SciFinder/Beilstein searches, 12/2005. Strangely, upon contact of 1 with the skin of the fingers, an apparent muscular tickling/twitching effect lasts several minutes (anecdotal observation by T. S.).