An olefin cross metathesis approach to C-disaccharide analogs of the α-d-arabinofuranosyl-(1→5)-α-d-arabinofuranoside motif found in the mycobacterial cell wall

Reported is the synthesis of a C-disaccharide analog of the α-d-Araf-(1→5)-α-d-Araf motif present in the cell wall of mycobacteria, including the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The key step is an olefin cross metathesis reaction that proceeds in excellent yield and which can be carried out on mmol scale.