Synthesis of L-glucurone. Conversion of D-glucose into L-glucose
L-Glucurone (2) was readily prepared on a small scale by treatment of D-glycero-D-gulo-heptono-lactone (1) with a molar equivalent of periodic acid; thin–layer chromatography was used for its isolation. On a larger scale pure crystalline L-glucurone was obtained in over 80% yield from 3,5;6,7-di-O-isopropylidene-D-glycero-D-gulo-heptonolactone (4) in two steps consisting of concomitant hydrolysis and oxidation of 4 with periodic acid followed by treatment of the intermediate oxidation product with trifluoroacetic acid. L-Glucose was prepared from L-glucurone by borohydride reduction and hydrolysis of the 1,2-O-isopropylidene derivative. Since 1 was derived from D-glucose, the result of this series of reactions was the conversion of D-glucose into its enantiomer L-glucose.