All carbocyclic analogs of the pentofuranoses were synthesized startin
g from norborn-5-en-2-one (1). By using either base- or acid-catalyzed
Baeyer-Villiger reaction of 1, the central intermediates 2 and 3 were
obtained. The required functionalization of the olefinic double bond
was achieved either by cis-hydroxylation in the case of the ribo, lyre
, and alpha-xylo derivatives or by epoxidation and subsequent opening
with aqueous perchloric acid. In the latter case, a pronounced selecti
vity for opening the epoxy alcohol in the 3-position was found. If an
epoxy acetate with both functions on the same side of the ring was use
d, the epoxide was opened in the 2-position by neighboring group parti
cipation of the acetate. The requisite side chain degradation was acco
mplished either by conversion of the ester into an olefin and subseque
nt dihydroxylation/cleavage reaction or by Curtius rearrangement to th
e amine and its conversion into an acetate.