A nitro sugar mediated synthesis of 6-amino-1,5,6-trideoxy-1,5-imino-d-glucitol (6-amino-1,6-dideoxynojirimycin)

6-Benzoylamino-3-O-benzyl-1,5,6-trideoxy-N-(1,1-diphenylmethyl)-1,5-imino-d-glucitol 12a and its epimer 6-benzoylamino-3-O-benzyl-1,5,6-trideoxy-N-(1,1-diphenylmethyl)-1,5-imino-l-iditol 12b, the protected forms of 6-amino-1,6-dideoxynojirimycin 4 and its C-5 epimer 5, respectively, were easily prepared from diacetone-d-glucose via 6-O-benzoyl-3-O-benzyl-1,2-O-isopropylidene-5-C-nitromethyl-α-d-glucofuranose 7a or 6-O-benzoyl-3-O-benzyl-1,2-O-isopropylidene-5-C-nitromethyl-β-l-idofuranose 7b. 6-Amino-1,6-dideoxynojirimycin 4 (an important precursor of a wide range of glycosidase inhibitors) was easily prepared from 1,5-imino-d-glucitol 12a.