New building blocks for convenient access to positional isomers of FTY720 and analogues.

Two new Weinreb amide based bifunctional building blocks have been developed starting from meta and ortho-toluic acid for convenient access to meta- and ortho- positional isomers of FTY720. Julia olefination and Grignard reaction are the key steps used in the synthesis of 2 and 3. The bifunctional building blocks 4 and 5 are easy to scale-up and in addition to synthesis of 2 and 3, these building blocks would be valuable in search of a new amphiphiles, as the functionalities therein allows for change in the nature of polar head-group and lipophilic chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]