Synthesis of the Antibiotic 1,5-dideoxy-1,5-imino-d-mannitol

Abstract

Easily accessible benzyl 2,3-O-isopropylidene-α-D-mannofuranoside (1) was converted in six steps into benzyl 2,3-O-isopropylidene-5-N-benzyl-5-deoxy-6-O-benzyl-α-D-mannofuranoside or benzyl 2,3-O-isopropylidene-5-azido-5-deoxy-6-O-benzyl-α-D-mannofuranoside. Both compounds afforded, after hydrogenolysis and acidolysis, 1-deoxymannojirimycin in an overall yield of 38% based on 1.