Simple analogues of lipid II were synthesized from 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-1-thio-beta-D-glucopyranose using conjugate addition onto ethylidene bisphosphonate and subsequent Wadsworth-Horner-Emmons reaction with long chain aliphatic aldehydes. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.