A diethyltartrate-based synthesis of both (−)- and (+)-arundic acid

A diethyltartrate-based synthesis of both enantiomers of the acute ischemic stroke therapeutic agent, arundic acid is presented. Separable diastereomers were obtained through the Johnson–Claisen rearrangement of the chiral vicinal diol based on the diethyltartrate skeleton and were converted separately into the two enantiomers of arundic acid.