An efficient procedure for the preparation of (1S,3R)- and (1S,3S)-1-amino-3-(hydroxymethyl)cyclopentanes.

Enantiomerically pure (1S,3S)- and (1S,3R)-1-amino-3-(hydroxymethyl)cyclopentanes have been efficiently synthesized from L-aspartic acid. The title compounds are isosteres of ribose and may be used to construct nucleoside analogs with important antiviral and antineoplastic activities as demonstrated by a concise total synthesis of (+)-4'-deoxycarbapentostatin nucleoside.