Protected sphingosine from phytosphingosine as an efficient acceptor in glycosylation reaction.

A convenient, simple, and high-yielding five-step synthesis of a sphingosine acceptor from phytosphingosine is reported, and its behavior in glycosylation reactions is described. Different synthetic paths to sphingosine acceptors using tetrachlorophthalimide as a protecting group for the sphingosine amino function and different glycosylation methods have been explored. Among the acceptors tested, the easiest accessible acceptor, unprotected on the two hydroxyl groups in positions 1 and 3, was regioselectively glycosylated on the primary position, the regioselectivity depending on the donor used.