A diethyltartrate-based synthesis of both (-)- and (+)-arundic acid

A diethyltartrate-based synthesis of both enantiomers of the acute ischemic stroke therapeutic agent, arundic acid is presented. Separable diastereomers were obtained through the Johnson-Claisen rearrangement of the chiral vicinal diol based on the diethyltartrate skeleton and were converted separately into the two enantiomers of arundic acid. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.