The aldol reaction of lithium enolates of tetronates with (R)-2,3-O-cyclohexylideneglyceraldehyde afforded the chelation controlled products stereoselectively. The conversion of the aldol products into arabitol and ribitol was also described.
(±)-Pestalotin (1) was synthesized by employing a stereoselective reduction of a 5-alkyltetronate derivative (3) and a two-carbon elongation reaction of the aldehyde (13) with ethyl diazoacetate in the presence of stannous chloride as key steps.