A concise route to d-erythro-sphingosine from N-Boc-l-serine derivatives via sulfoxide or sulfone intermediates

Sulfoxide and sulfone intermediates 7 and 15, respectively, were employed to synthesize synthons 3 and 4, which are readily converted to the naturally occurring (2S,3R,4(E))-sphingosine 1 and (2S,3R)-sphinganine 2.