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Updated: May 27, 2026

Efficient Construction of Drug-like Bispirocyclic Scaffolds Via Organocatalytic Cycloadditions of α-Imino γ-Lactones and Alkylidene Pyrazolones
Published on: February 7, 2019
Dihydroxylation-based approach for the asymmetric syntheses of hydroxy-γ-butyrolactones
Jennifer Peed1, Iwan R Davies, Lucy R Peacock
1Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
A method of preparing enantiopure hydroxy-γ-butyrolactones containing multiple contiguous stereocenters in high yield with good diastereoselectivity has been developed. Osmium tetroxide mediated dihydroxylation of a range of β-alkenyl-β-hydroxy-N-acyloxazolidin-2-ones results in formation of triols that undergo spontaneous intramolecular 5-exo-trig cyclization reactions to provide hydroxy-γ-butyrolactones. The stereochemistry of these hydroxy-γ-butyrolactones has been established using NOE spectroscopy, which revealed that 1-substituted, 1,1-disubstituted, (E)-1,2-disubstituted, (Z)-1,2-disubstituted, and 1,1,2-trisubstituted alkenes undergo dihydroxylation with anti-diastereoselectivity, while 1,2,2-trisubstituted systems afford syn-diastereoisomers. The synthetic utility of this methodology has been demonstrated for the asymmetric synthesis of the natural product 2-deoxy-D-ribonolactone.
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