Total synthesis of ceramide trihexoside accumulating with Fabry's disease

We report the synthesis of natural ceramide trihexoside, viz. gal (alpha-1 leads to 4) gal (beta-1 leads to 4) gluc (beta-1 leads to 1) ceramide (XIII). It involves the Koenigs-Knorr reaction of the bromide II with the aglucon XIX, and of the chloride VII with the D-enantiomer of the ceramide ester XII. A positional isomer of XIII was obtained as a by-product. A novel technique in the Koenings-Knorr reaction is described.