All Eight Stereoisomeric <scp>d</scp>-Glyconic-δ-lactams: Synthesis, Conformational Analysis, and Evaluation as Glycosidase Inhibitors

An efficient and general synthetic route to all eight stereoisomeric D-glycono-delta-lactams has been developed. The strategy involves, as a key step, a stereodivergent delta-lactam formation with configurational retention or inversion at C-4 of a starting gamma-lactone to lead to two epimers of delta-lactam from one parent gamma-lactone. Conformations of eight glycono-delta-lactams were examined by X-ray crystallographic analysis and molecular modeling. Analyses of conformation and glycosidase-inhibition provide useful information for the design of new glycosidase inhibitors.