Stereochemical Elucidation of Norbornene Derivatives Synthesized as Leukotriene D4 Receptor Antagonists

The complete ¹H and ¹³C NMR assignment and stereochemical elucidation of four norbornene derivatives (1–4) are presented. These derivatives were obtained by an asymmetric Diels–Alder reaction of a chiral dienophile, from D‐glucose, as leukotriene D4 receptor antagonists. NOE measurements of the four products between H‐7b and H‐5 readily allowed discrimination between exo‐ (2, 4) and endo‐ (1, 3) diastereomers with respect to methyl carboxylate and tetrahydrofuro1,3]dioxolyl groups. Further discrimination and subsequent absolute configuration determination of the two endo‐ and two exo‐ products were performed by NOE peak measurements and molecular modeling calculations of relative interproton distances of the most stable conformations of each isomer.