A Rapid Route to Hex-1-enopyran-3-uloses

TLDR: In this article, it was shown that triacetyl glucal can be converted to 6-O-triphenylmethyl ether or 6 O-benzoyl ester to promote solubility in chloroform, and the derivatives are oxidized in that solvent in 12 h or less.

Abstract: Whereas the pseudo-axial 3-hydroxyl group of allal derivatives is known to be inert to manganese dioxide oxidation, the equatorial counterpart in glucal derivatives is shown to be readily oxidized. Thus glucal is converted to the 6-O-triphenylmethyl ether or 6-O-benzoyl ester to promote solubility in chloroform, and the derivatives are oxidized in that solvent in 12 h or less.Acetonation of glucal is readily accomplished in 45 min using 2,2-dimethoxypropane and p-toluenesulfonic acid in dimethylformamide; the product may be oxidized directly either with manganese dioxide or dipyridine chromium oxide. Thus it is possible to obtain 1–3-g quantities of the crystalline acetonated enone from triacetyl glucal (via deacetylation, acetonation, and oxidation) in 3–4 h.If the acetonation medium stands for 2 h methyl 2,3-dideoxy-4,6-O-isopropylidene-α-D-erythro-hex-2-enopyranoside is obtained. The mechanism of its formation in the reaction medium is discussed.