A concise route to phytosphingosine from lyxose

Phytosphingosine was synthesized from the commercially available d-2,3-O-isopropylidene-d-lyxofuranose in 28% overall yield by a six-step procedure. This procedure is expedient and flexible for introduction of other lipid moieties on the phytosphingosine structure to make a variety of derivatives that can support the further exploration of their related biological functions.