An unusual synthesis of 2-pyridone and 3,5-dihydroxypyridine from a carbohydrate

An unusual aromatization to perbenzylated 3,5-dihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-2-pyridone was demonstrated utilizing sugar lactam, under strong basic conditions, derived from d-Galactose. 2-Pyridone was efficiently converted into a pharmaceutically relevant structure 3,5-dihydroxy pyridine salt to demonstrate its synthetic utility. This result is the first report for 2-pyridone synthesis from a carbohydrate, and also first of its kind for a novel 3,5-dihydroxypyridine.