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Background<p>The diastereoselectivity of a vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol reaction of a series of N-substituted 4-oxy-2-trimethylsilyloxypyrroles with a tartrate-based aldehyde has been explored as a model reaction for castanospermine synthesis.</p><p>Results</p><p>The study has revealed that the reaction is sensitive to the nature of the combination of N- and 4-oxy substituents. With a N-PMB or N-Bn and 4-methoxy combination, the reaction generates an aldol adduct with the correct absolute configurations for C-8 and C-8a of the indolizidine alkaloid castanospermine. The adduct was transformed to an indolizidine, whose ketal could not be transformed appropriately for the target alkaloid.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>The first successful diastereoselective Mukaiyama aldol strategy for the C-8 and C-8a stereogenic centres of castanospermine is presented using silyloxypyrrole chemistry. The results suggest that a full enantioselective synthesis can be realized provided that C-1 functionalisation is accomplished early in the synthesis, post-coupling.</p>