Highly stereocontrolled synthesis of gem-difluoromethylenated azasugars: D- and L-1,4,6-trideoxy-4,4-difluoronojirimycin.

[reaction: see text]. D-1,4,6-trideoxy-4,4-difluoronojirimycin and L-1,4,6-trideoxy-4,4-difluoronojirimycin, a novel series of gem-4,4-difluoromethylenated azasugars, were synthesized from CF3CH2OH in 10 steps. A key step was the highly diastereoselective construction of the piperidine ring via reductive amination.