Entropy-controlled selectivity in the vinylation of a cyclic chiral nitrone. An efficient route to enantiopure polyhydroxylated pyrrolidines.

A short synthesis of 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-L-arabinitol (LAB1) (4) and of 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-D-galactitol (5), two azasugars active as enzymatic inhibitors, is reported. The key reaction is the addition of vinylmagnesium chloride to (3S,4S)-3,4-bis(benzyloxy)-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrrole 1-oxide (3), a nitrone easily available from L-tartaric acid. Unexpectedly, the reaction affords the corresponding (2S,3S,4S)-1-hydroxy-2-ethenyl-3,4-bis(benzyloxy)pyrrolidine (9) in very good yield and in 93/7 diastereomeric ratio (dr) independently of the reaction temperature, thus representing a unique case of entropy-controlled reaction in a 100 K interval (from +20 degrees C to -80 degrees C). The trans intermediate 9 is converted in two steps (reduction, N-protection) into the common intermediate (2S,3S,4S)-1-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-3,4-bis(benzyloxy)-2-ethenylpyrrolidine (11). Double bond oxidation followed by reductive debenzylation opens a route to the target pyrrolidine azasugars 4 and 5.