Versatile Configuration-Encoded Strategy for Rapid Synthesis of 1,5-Polyol Stereoisomers

The isolated stereogenic centers of 1,5-polyol-containing natural products present challenges to synthesis and structure determination. To address this problem, a configuration-encoded strategy defines each configuration within a simple 4-(arylsulfonyl)butyronitrile building block, a repeat unit that is reliably and efficiently coupled in iterative fashion to afford 1,5-polyols of defined stereochemistry. For example, the C27-C40 subunit of tetrafibricin is prepared in five steps and 42% yield. This strategy is amenable to rapid and unambiguous preparation of all configurational permutations of 1,5-polyols with equal facility.