Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and phosphatidic acid (PA) are potent bioactive lipid mediators of signal transduction and are inactivated by phosphatases. To obtain receptor-isoform selective ligands with neutral phosphomimetic head groups, we performed the stereoselective synthesis of LPA and PA analogues with trifluoromethanesulfonamide and trifluoromethanesulfonamidoxy moieties replacing the phosphomonoester.