A suitable C3-synthetic building block was found to be 2-benzyloxy-3-(phenyIthio)acrylic acid N-methylamide l ['], which reacts with lithium diisopropylamide-in the molar ratio 1 :2 directly and almost quantitatively to give the diiithiated species l a (Scheme 2). Reaction of l a with the readily accessible 2,3 : 4,5-di-O-isopropylidene-~-arabinose 2[61 as electrophile furnished, in very good yields and with high diastereoselectivity, the desired D-mannO product 3 (in tetrahydrofuran (THF)/hexamethylphosphoric triamide: 85%, 3 : 4 > 15 : 1 ; in THF: 75%, 3 : 4 = 8 : l), which recrystallized from the mother liquor in isomerically pure form (m.p. 113--114"C, 75%). Hence, the problem of separating diastereoisomers was solved in an easy way. The diastereofacial selectivity can be explained in terms of the Felkin model[71. Steric and stereoelectronic influences favor Re-attack in the case of 2A, to give the D-manno product, rather than Si-attack to give the D-ghC0 product 4 (Scheme 3). In the case of 2B Re-and, in particular, Siattack are handicapped owing to the spatial requirement of the 4,s-0-isopropylidene group.