In order to improve the synthetic method for D-serinal (2) by attempting to minimize the number of steps involved, the hydroxy group of N-BOC-L-serine methyl ester 6 (obtained by conversion of the carboxylic acid and amino groups of L-serine 3 into the methyl ester and tert-butoxycarbonylamino groups, respectively) was protected with tert-butyldiphenylsilyl chloride16 and the methyl ester group was subsequently reduced to obtain compound 8. ...
