Large-Scale Synthesis of Crystalline 1,2,3,4,6,7-Hexa-O-acetyl-L-glycero-α-D-manno-heptopyranose

The higher-carbon sugar L-glycero-D-manno-heptose is a major constituent of the inner core region of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of many Gram-negative bacteria. All preparative routes used to date require multiple steps, and scalability has been rarely addressed. Here a highly practical synthesis of crystalline 1,2,3,4,6,7-hexa-O-acetyl-L-glycero--D-manno-heptopyranose by a simple four-step sequence starting from L-lyxose is disclosed. Only two recrystallisations are required and the process was demonstrated on a >100 mmol scale, yielding 41 g of the target compound.