SYNTHESIS OF ALKYL 4,6-DI-O-ACETYL-2,3-DIDEOXY-ALPHA-D-THREO-HEX-2-ENOPYRANOSIDES FROM 3,4,6-TRI-O-ACETYL-1,5-ANHYDRO-2-DEOXY-D-LYXO-HEX-1-ENITOL (3,4,6-TRI-O-ACETYL-D-GALACTAL)

3,4,6-Tri-O-acetyl-d-galactal, on treatment in 1,2-dichloroethane with alcohols and stannic chloride as catalyst, readily undergoes allylic rearrangement-substitution, forming alkyl 4,6-di-O-acetyl-2,3-dideoxy-α-d-threo-hex-2-enopyranosides in yields of 43-92%. Alkyl 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-deoxy-αβ-d-lyxo-hexopyranosides are formed as side-products in yields of 2-14 %. Stannic chloride-catalysis is also useful in allylic rearrangement of 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-1,5-anhydro-2-deoxy-d-arabino- hex-l-enitol (3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-d-glucal) which, with methanol or ethanol, affords the corresponding alkyl 4,6-di-O-acetyl-2,3-dideoxy-α-d-erythro-hex-2-enopyranosides in yields of 83 and 94%. © 1979.