Annulated pyranosides—V : An wenantiospecific route to (+) and (-) chrysanthemum dicarboxylic acids

-Methyl 2,3-anhydro-4,6-O-benzylidene-α-D-allopyranoside undergoes the Wadsworth- Emmons cyclopropanation with phosphonopropionate to give a cyclopropyl carboxylate which is processed to give the gem-dimethylcyclopropano pyranoside. The glycosylic acetal of this substance is readily hydrolyzed by boiling water, and the resulting cis-cyclopropane carboxaldehyde may be epimerized quantitatively to the trans-analog by treatment with sodium methoxide. These aldehydes are now converted into the (+)- and (-)-chrysanthemum dicarboxylic acids, respectively, by the same sequence of reactions involving (a) olefination with methyl 2-(triphenylphosphoranylidene)propionate, (b) hydro- lysis of the benzylidine ring and cleavage of the resulting triol with sodium metaperiodate, and (c) oxidation of the resulting aldehyde with silver I oxide. In the case of the (+)-enantiomer the last reaction is proceeded by epimerization. The overall yields from the D-allopyranoside are respectively 27%, in 10 steps for the (+)-enantiomer, and 24%, in 10 steps for the (-)-enantiomer, from the known epoxide 7.