Enantioselective approach to polyhydroxylated compounds using chiral sulfoxides: Synthesis of enantiomerically pure myo-inositol and pyrrolidine derivatives

A short enantioselective synthesis of the biologically important myo-inosit ol derivative I and the pyrrolidine derivative II is described. The molecul e 3, a diketo disulfoxide readily made from tartaric acid, is the key inter mediate. The sulfinyl group controlled completely the very high stereoselec tion observed.