Racemic ribose, derivatives

Ethenediyl carbonate (l,3-dioxol-2-one vinylene carbonate, 417) is a readily available,270 versatile synthon having pronounced dienophilic properties.270-275 Diels-Alder adducts of 417 with 1,4-di-acetoxy-1,3-butadiene and furan were selectively converted into cy-clitols,256 257-275 and also served as precursors of DL-ribose derivatives258 (see Section IV, 2). Another possibility of applying 417 as an equivalent of a 1,2-dihydroxyethane unit has been demonstrated in a synthesis of racemic apiose. Photochemical cycloaddition of 417 to 1,3-diace-toxy-2-propanone (418) gave the oxetane derivative 419, which, on alkaline hydrolysis, afforded DL-apiose (420) in 23% yield.1... 

In the area of carbocyclic nucleoside antibiotics, hydrolysis of the racemic esters 40 (R= n-Bu or ii-CeHis) by the lipase from Candida rugosa proceeds with very high enantiomeric selectivity, and from the resolved materials both enantiomers of aristeromydn were made by an established route. The authors report that a previous similar method (Vol.21, p. 182) is not as enantioselective. In a new synthesis of neplanocin A (43), the alcohol 41, derived from D-ribose, was converted to the cyclopentene 42 using an intramolecular insertion reaction of an alkylidene carbene. The new stereocentre in 42 was mostly of the wrong P-configuration, but could be corrected by a process of desilylation, oxidation and borohydride reduction. The biosynthesis of neplanocin A (43) and aristero-mycin has been reinvestigated, and the cyclopentenone 44 has been proposed as an intermediate, which is converted to aristeromycin via neplanocin A without any bifurcation. The 3-deaza-analogue 45 of 5 - or-aristeromydn has been prepared, and the antiviral activity of it and of the 7-deaza-compound (Vol.27, p. 235) are reported. ... 

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