Synthesis of 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-L-altrose, -L-idose, and -L-talose from benzyl 6-deoxy-3,4-O-isopropylidene-beta-L-galactopyranoside

Acetylation of benzyl 6-deoxy-3,4O-isopropylidene-β-L-galactopyranoside gave benzyl 2-O-acetyl-6-deoxy-3,4-O-isopropylidene-β-L-galactopyranoside (1). Removal of the isopropylidene group afforded benzyl 2-O-acetyl-6-deoxy-β-L-galactopyranoside (2), which was converted into benzyl 2-O-acetyl-6-deoxy-3,4-di-O-(methyl-sulfonyl)-β-L-galactopyranoside (3). Benzyl 2,3-anhydro-6-deoxy-4-O-(methyl-sulfonyl)-β-L-gulopyranoside (4) was obtained from 3 by treatment with alkali. Reaction of 4 with sodium azide in N,N-dimethylformamide gave a mixture of two isomeric benzyl 2,4-diazido-2,4,6-trideoxy hexoses, the syrupy diazido derivative 5 and the crystalline benzyl 2,4-diazido-2,4,6-trideoxy-β-L-idopyranoside (6). Acetylation of 6 afforded a compound whose n.m.r. spectrum was completely first order and in agreement with the structure of benzyl 3-O-acetyl-2,4-diazido-2,4,6-trideoxy-β-L-idopyranoside (7). Lithium aluminium hydride reduction of 5, followed by acetylation, afforded a crystalline product (8), shown by n.m.r. spectroscopy to be benzyl 2,4-diacetamido-3-O-acetyl-2,4,6-trideoxy-β-L-altropyranoside. Similar treatment of the diazido derivative 6 afforded benzyl 2,4-diacetamido-3-O-acetyl-2,4,6-trideoxy-β-L-idopyranoside (9). Compounds 8 and 9 could also be obtained from 4 by treatment of the crude diazido mixture with lithium aluminium hydride, with subsequent N-acetylation. The syrupy benzyl 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-β-L-altropyranoside (10) and the crystalline benzyl 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-β-L-idopyranoside (11) thus obtained were then O-acetylated to give 8 and 9 respectively. Benzyl 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxy-β-L-talopyranoside (15) was obtained from 11 by treatment with methanesulfonyl chloride and subsequent solvolysis. Compound 15 was O-acetylated to yield benzyl 2,4-diacetamido-3-O-acetyl-2,4,6-trideoxy-β-L-talopyranoside (16). the n.m.r. spectrum of which was in full agreement with the assigned structure. The mass spectra of compounds 8–11, 15, and 16 were also in agreement with their proposed structures. Removal of the benzyl groups from 10, 11 and 15 afforded the corresponding 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxyhexoses 12, 13, and 17, having the L-altro, L-ido, and L-talo configurations, respectively.