A synthesis of the five membered iminosugar DAB and a divergent synthesis of the six membered iminosugar 1-dehydromannojirimycin (DMJ) and the corresponding sugar imino acid are reported. They involve double nucleophilic displacements of a D-xylose ditriflate by benzyl carbazate and a D-glucose ditriflate by allyl amine, respectively. They are followed by a similar protocol consisting of hydrolysis and oxidation or reduction of the resulting bicyclic glycosides. This allowed DMJ to be obtained from the cheap sugar D-glucose.
The Front Cover shows domino transformations, which play a crucial role as chemical tools in drug discovery processes. In their Review (DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.202400511), S. Mazzotta, G. D'Orazio and co-workers showcase various instances of domino transformations applied to carbohydrates, with the goal of summarizing their chemical potential in producing sugar-derived compounds. These compounds have significant applications in generating new chemical scaffolds for drug discovery and chemical biology.