Synthesis of Sphingosine

Significance

Sphingosine is a core component of glycosphingolipids, a class of cell membrane lipids which serve as an anchor for polysaccharides on the surface of all eukaryotic cells. A very efficient enantioselective synthesis starting from a simple racemic material is presented using Trost’s dynamic kinetic asymmetric allylic substitution ­reaction as the key step (A → C).