Yb(OTf)3‑Catalyzed Desymmetrization of myo-Inositol 1,3,5-Orthoformate and Its Application in the Synthesis of Chiral Inositol Phosphates

A variety of inositol phosphates including myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, which is a secondary messenger in transmembrane signaling, were selectively synthesized via Yb­(OTf)3-catalyzed desymmetrization of myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoformate using a proline-based chiral anhydride as an acylation precursor. The investigated catalytic system could regioselectively differentiate the enantiotopic hydroxy groups of myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoformate in the presence of a chiral auxiliary. This key step to generate a suitably protected chiral myo-inositol derivatives is described here as a unified approach to access inositol phosphates.