1) The document discusses the functionalization of α-D-glucoisosaccharino-1,4-lactone (α-ISAL) through a multi-step synthetic process to selectively modify its hydroxyl groups and enable its use as a scaffold for drug development. 2) Initial steps involved protecting the tertiary hydroxyl with Fmoc and attempts to selectively acetylate it, but the di-Fmoc lactone system proved inherently unstable. 3) Subsequent steps explored using acid conditions to cleave the Fmoc group on carbon 6, catalyzed elimination reactions to introduce a double bond, and copolymerization of the lactone ring with methyl acrylate.