10.1021/jo9714829
The research focuses on the enantioselective synthesis of epimerizable R-fluoro aldehydes and their application in the synthesis of 4-deoxy-4-fluoro-D-arabinopyranose. Key chemicals involved in this research include 3-(benzyloxy)-1-propanol, which was oxidized to an acid and then converted to an acid chloride. The acid chloride reacted with the lithium salt of (4R,5S)-(+)-4-methyl-5-phenyl-2-oxazolidinone to form an intermediate. Electrophilic fluorination using N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide (NFSi) yielded a crucial R-fluoro carboximide. Reduction with LiBH4 produced a 2-fluorohydrin, which was subsequently oxidized using the Dess-Martin periodinane reagent to form the desired R-fluoro aldehydes. These aldehydes were then used in a Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction and a Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation to ultimately synthesize the target 4-deoxy-4-fluoro-D-arabinopyranose. The study highlights the importance of fluorine in enhancing biological and pharmacological activity, and the challenges and successes in synthesizing and utilizing chiral R-fluoro aldehydes as building blocks.