D-Glucosaccharo-3,6-lactone

L-dihydroxy-succinic acid (L(dexiro)-tartaric acid, CXIII). This result establishes the position of the double bond between C4 and C5 and demonstrates that C4 carries only one hydrogen atom while C5 has attached to it the enolic hydroxyl group. Treatment of the enol CXI with ethereal diazomethane gives 5-methyl-A4-D-glucosaccharo-3,6-lactone methyl ester (CXIY) which upon further methylation with silver oxide and methyl iodide yields 2,5-dimethyl-A4-D-glucosaccharo-3,6-lactone methyl ester (CXV). When the latter is subjected to ozonolysis there is formed oxalic acid and 3-methyl-L-threuronic acid (CXVI). Oxidation of this aldehydic acid (CXYI) with bromine gives rise to a monomethyl derivative (CXVII) of L-ilireo-dihydroxy-succinic acid. 

The methylated analog CXV of L-ascorbic acid, 2,5-dimethyl-A4-D-glucosaccharo-3,6-lactone methyl ester has been obtained by simultaneous enolization and methylation of a number of substances. For instance it is derivable by treatment, with silver oxide and methyl iodide, of D-glucosaccharo-1,5 3,6-dilactone (CIX), D-glucosaccharo-1,4 ... 

Reduction can be achieved by sodium amalgam in acid solution, D-gluco-saccharolactone (XXX) yielding D-glucuronolactone (XXXI). Difficulty in obtaining good )delds is probably due to the fact that the glucosaccharo-lactone is a mixture of 1,4- (XXX) and 3,6- (XXXII) lactones. 

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