A concise route to novel mimetics of Kdn2en, based on Δ4-uronic acids, from d-glucurono-6, 3-lactone is presented. Uronic acid-based mimetics in which an aliphatic ether (O- glycoside), a thioether (S-glycoside), or acetamide takes the place of the natural C-6 glycerol sidechain of the sialic acid were synthesized from the key intermediate, methyl 2, 3, 4-tri-O- acetyl-α-d-glucopyranosyluronate bromide.
