Diastereoselective concise syntheses of the polyhydroxylated alkaloids DMDP and DAB

A diastereoselective concise synthesis of the iminosugars DMDP and DAB is presented starting from l-xylose and affording the two alkaloids in good yields of 35% and 22% over seven and eight steps, respectively. The Petasis borono–Mannich reaction of 3,5-di-O-benzyl-l-xylofuranose with benzylamine and (E)-styrylboronic acid served as the nitrogen-introducing key step furnishing the new C–N bond in an entirely diastereoselective manner. A chemo- and regioselective O-mesylation followed by an intramolecular SN2-cyclisation allowed the formation of the pyrrolidine ring. Ozonolysis of the styryl double bond and subsequent reduction to form the C-5 hydroxymethyl substituent followed by hydrogenolysis of the benzyl protecting groups concluded the DMDP synthesis. Furthermore, an unexpected fragmentation process during the ozonolysis reaction also gave access to the C-5 decarbinolated DMDP derivative DAB.