10.1021/ol203213f
The study presents a de novo asymmetric synthesis of polyhydroxylated N-alkoxypiperidines and their analogues, including isofagomine, using ring-closing double reductive amination. The synthesis begins with the desymmetrization of cyclopentadiene to produce an optically enriched cyclopentene derivative, which is then oxidatively cleaved to yield the necessary dialdehyde. The key ring-closing double reductive amination involves reacting the dialdehyde with O-substituted hydroxylamines, such as O-benzylhydroxylamine, to form N-alkoxypiperidines. Various functionalized dialdehydes are synthesized to produce a range of N-alkoxypiperidines with different substituents. The final products, including isofagomine, are obtained by deprotecting the synthesized compounds using reagents like BCl3 or BBr3. This method provides a flexible and concise route to produce optically pure polyhydroxylated piperidines and their derivatives, which have potential applications in the development of glycosidase inhibitors.