Mechanism of a chemical glycosylation reaction

Glycosidation of thioglycosides in the presence of bromine: mechanism, reactivity, and stereoselectivity

Elaborating on previous studies by Lemieux for highly reactive "armed" bromides, we discovered that β-bromide of the superdisarmed (2-O-benzyl-3,4,6-tri-O-benzoyl) series can be directly obtained from the thioglycoside precursor. When this bromide is glycosidated, α-glycosides form exclusively; however, the yields of such transformations may be low due to the competing anomerization into α-bromide that is totally unreactive under the established reaction conditions.

Do glycosyl sulfonium ions engage in neighbouring-group participation? A study of oxathiane glycosyl donors and the basis for their stereoselectivity

Neighbouring-group participation has long been used to control the synthesis of 1,2-trans-glycosides. More recently there has been a growing interest in the development of similar strategies for the synthesis of 1,2-cis-glycosides, in particular the use of auxiliary groups that generate sulfonium ion intermediates. However, there has been some debate over the role of sulfonium ion intermediates in these reactions: do sulfonium ions actually engage in neighbouring-group participation, or are they a resting state of the system prior to reaction through an oxacarbenium ion intermediate? Herein, we describe the reactivities and stereoselectivities of a family of bicyclic thioglycosides in which an oxathiane ring is fused to the sugar to form a trans-decalin-like structure. A methyl sulfonium ion derived from one such glycosyl donor is so stable that it can be crystallised from ethanol, yet it reacts with complete stereoselectivity at high temperature. The importance of a ketal group in the oxathiane ring for maintaining this high stereoselectivity is investigated using a combination of experiment and ab initio calculations. The data are discussed in terms of S(N)1 and S(N)2 type mechanisms. Trends in stereoselectivity across a series of compounds are more consistent with selective addition to oxacarbenium ions rather than a shift between S(N)1 and S(N)2 mechanisms.

Methodology development and physical organic chemistry: a powerful combination for the advancement of glycochemistry

This Perspective outlines work in the Crich group on the diastereoselective synthesis of the so-called difficult classes of glycosidic bond: the 2-deoxy-β-glycopyranosides, the β-mannopyranosides, the α-sialosides, the α-glucopyranosides, and the β-arabinofuranosides with an emphasis on the critical interplay between mechanism and methodology development.

Glycosylation studies on conformationally restricted 3,5-O-(di-tert-butylsilylene)-D-galactofuranosyl trichloroacetimidate donors for 1,2-cis α-D-galactofuranosylation

Conformationally restricted 3,5-O-di-tert-butylsilylene-D-galactofuranosyl trichloroacetimidate donors were synthesized from allyl α-D-galactofuranoside for the construction of 1,2-cis α-D-galactofuranosyl linkages. Glycosylation reactions were performed with several acceptors, including D-galactono-1,4-lactone, D-rhamnopyranosyl, and D-mannopyranosyl derivatives. The influence of the temperature and the reaction solvents was evaluated, as well as the 6-O-substitution pattern of the donor. The higher α-selectivities were obtained at -78 °C in diethyl ether as solvent. 6-O-Acetyl substitution on constrained donor increased the α-selectivity compared to the 6-O-benzyl substitution. Almost no selectivities were observed in the non-participating solvent CH(2)Cl(2). In contrast, ethereal solvents enhanced the α-selectivity suggesting a participating effect in the reaction intermediate.

Synthesis and structural verification of the xylomannan antifreeze substance from the freeze-tolerant Alaskan beetle Upis ceramboides

Tetra-, hexa-, and octasaccharide subunits of the [→4)-β-D-Manp-(1→4)-β-D-Xylp-(1→](n) xylomannan motif proposed as the structure of a novel nonprotein, thermal hysteresis-producing antifreeze substance from the freeze-tolerant Alaskan beetle Upis ceramboides have been accessed by total chemical synthesis. Comparison of their NMR spectral data with data of the isolate lends strong support to the proposed structure. Synthetic tetrasaccharides representing various linkage isomers considered (α- rather than β-manno, and linkage through mannose O3 rather than O4) show more significant chemical shift differences with the isolate and are therefore excluded from further consideration.

Regioselective activation of glycosyl acceptors by a diarylborinic acid-derived catalyst

A derivative of diphenylborinic acid promotes catalytic, regioselective Koenigs-Knorr glycosylations of carbohydrate derivatives bearing multiple secondary hydroxyl groups. Robust levels of selectivity for the equatorial OH group of cis-1,2-diol motifs are demonstrated in reactions of seven acceptors derived from galactose, mannose, fucose, and arabinose using a variety of glycosyl halide donors. Catalyst control presents a new means of generating defined glycosidic linkages from unprotected or minimally protected carbohydrate feedstocks.

Mannopyranosyl uronic acid donor reactivity

The reactivity of a variety of mannopyranosyl uronic acid donors was assessed in a set of competition experiments, in which two (S)-tolyl mannosyl donors were made to compete for a limited amount of promoter (NIS/TfOH). These experiments revealed that the reactivity of mannuronic acid donors is significantly higher than expected based on the electron-withdrawing capacity of the C-5 carboxylic acid ester function. A 4-O-acetyl-β-(S)-tolyl mannuronic acid donor was found to have similar reactivity as per-O-benzyl-α-(S)-tolyl mannose.

Direct synthesis of diastereomerically pure glycosyl sulfonium salts

It is reported that stable glycosyl sulfonium salts can be generated via direct anomeric S-methylation of ethylthioglycosides. Mechanistically, this pathway represents the first step in the activation of thioglycosides for glycosidation; however, it can further allow for the synthesis and isolation of quasi-stable sulfonium ions, representing a new approach for studying these key intermediates.

Rapid transformation of D-mannose into orthogonally protected D-glucosamine and D-galactosamine thioglycosides

An expedient protocol for synthesis of orthogonally protected 2-azido-2-deoxy-D-glucosamine and 2-azido-2-deoxy-D-galactosamine donors from D-mannose is described. Readily available phenyl β-D-thiomannoside is rapidly transformed into D-GlcN(3) thioglycosides via a highly regioselective 3-O-acylation followed by 4,6-O-benzylidenation and azide displacement of C2-OTf, which is further converted into D-GalN(3) thioglycosides through Lattrell-Dax inversion of the C4 hydroxy group and its Boc protection. The reaction sequence may be completed in 2 days and involves simple workups and minimal column chromatography.

Influence of the solvent in low temperature glycosylations with O-(2,3,5,6-tetra-O-benzyl-β-D-galactofuranosyl) trichloroacetimidate for 1,2-cis α-D-galactofuranosylation

Glycosylation studies for the construction of 1,2-cis α-linkages with O-(2,3,5,6-tetra-O-benzyl-β-D-galactofuranosyl) trichloroacetimidate (1) and several acceptors, including D-mannosyl and l-rhamnosyl derivatives were performed. The reactions were conducted at low temperatures using CH(2)Cl(2), Et(2)O, and acetonitrile as solvents. A non-participating solvent such as CH(2)Cl(2) at -78°C, favored the α-D-configuration. In contrast, acetonitrile strongly favored the β-D-configuration, whereas no selectivities were observed with Et(2)O. The use of thiophene as an additive did not enhance the α-D-selectivity as in the pyranose counterpart. Although selectivities strongly depended on the acceptor, trichloroacetimidate 1 constitutes a valuable donor for the synthesis of α-D-Galf-(1→2)-l-Rha and α-D-Galf-(1→6)-D-Man. As these motifs are present in pathogenic microorganisms, these procedures described here are useful for the straightforward synthesis of natural oligosaccharides.

Endocyclic cleavage in glycosides with 2,3-trans cyclic protecting groups

An endocyclic pathway is proposed as a reaction mechanism for the anomerization from the β (1,2-trans) to the α (1,2-cis) configuration observed in glycosides carrying 2,3-trans cyclic protecting groups. This reaction occurs in the presence of a weak Lewis or Brønsted acid, while endocyclic cleavage (endocleavage) in typical glycosides was observed only when mediated by protic media or strong Lewis acids. To rationalize the behavior of this class of compounds, the reaction mechanism and the promoting factors of the endocleavage are investigated using quantum-mechanical (QM) calculations and experimental studies. We examine anomerization reactions of thioglycosides carrying 2,3-trans cyclic protecting groups, employing boron trifluoride etherate (BF(3)·OEt(2)) as a Lewis acid. The estimated theoretical reactivity, based on a simple model to predict transition state (TS) energies from the strain caused by the fused rings, is very close to the TS energies calculated by the TS search along the C1-C2 bond rotation after the endo C-O bond breaking. Excellent agreement is found between the predicted TS energies and the experimental reactivity ranking. The series of calculations and experiments strongly supports the predominance of the endocyclic rather than the exocyclic mechanism. Furthermore, these investigations suggest that the inner strain is the primary factor enhancing the endocleavage reaction. The effect of the cyclic protecting group in restricting the pyranoside ring to a (4)C(1) conformation, extensively discussed in conjunction with the stereoelectronic effect theory, is shown to be a secondary factor.

Stereoelectronic effects determine oxacarbenium vs β-sulfonium ion mediated glycosylations

Activation of a glycosyl donor protected with a 2-O-(S)-(phenylthiomethyl)benzyl ether chiral auxiliary results in the formation of an anomeric β-sulfonium ion, which can be displaced with sugar alcohols to give corresponding α-glycosides. Sufficient deactivation of such glycosyl donors by electron-withdrawing protecting groups is, however, critical to avoid glycosylation of an oxacarbenium ion intermediate. The latter type of glycosylation pathway can also be suppressed by installing additional substituents in the chiral auxiliary.

Selective acetylation of per-O-TMS-protected monosaccharides

Selective acetylation of various per-O-TMS-protected carbohydrates has been accomplished. Using a protecting group exchange strategy and microwave assistance, monosaccharides (glucose, galactose, and mannose) can be selectively acetylated producing either the 6-O-monoacetate or 1,6-O-diacetylated species. This new class of molecules can be deprotected without migration of the acetyl groups, providing useful synthetic intermediates. To demonstrate the scope of the reaction, the methodology was successfully extended to TMS-protected ceramide.

Glycosyl alkoxythioimidates as complementary building blocks for chemical glycosylation

It is reported that S-glycosyl O-methyl phenylcarbamothioates (SNea carbamothioates) have a fully orthogonal character in comparison to S-benzoxazolyl (SBox) glycosides. This complete orthogonality was revealed by performing competitive glycosylation experiments in the presence of various promoters. The results obtained indicate that SNea carbamothioates have a very similar reactivity profile to that of glycosyl thiocyanates, yet are significantly more stable and tolerate selected protecting group manipulations. These features make the SNea carbamothioates new promising building blocks for further utilization in oligosaccharide synthesis.

Influence of the O3 protecting group on stereoselectivity in the preparation of C-mannopyranosides with 4,6-O-benzylidene protected donors

α-C-Glucopyranosides and mannopyranosides are obtained in 65-85% yields from 4,6-O-benzylidene-protected glucosyl and mannosyl thioglycosides bearing ester functionality at the 3-O-position by a coupling reaction with C-nucleophiles on activation with diphenyl sulfoxide, 2,4,6-tri-tert-butylpyrimidine, and trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride.

Synthesis and biological properties of the cytotoxic 14-membered macrolides aspergillide A and B

Total, stereoselective syntheses of the naturally occurring, cytotoxic macrolides aspergillide A and B are described. Olefin metatheses and asymmetric allylations were key steps in the synthetic sequences. Cytotoxicity assays against several tumor cell lines have been performed for the two aspergillides and some of the intermediates or side products of the synthetic sequence. One of these intermediates has been found markedly active against the human leukemia cancer cell line HL-60, with an IC(50) value comparable with that of the clinical drug fludarabine.

Protecting groups in carbohydrate chemistry: influence on stereoselectivity of glycosylations

Saccharides are polyhydroxy compounds, and their synthesis requires complex protecting group manipulations. Protecting groups are usually used to temporarily mask a functional group which may interfere with a certain reaction, but protecting groups in carbohydrate chemistry do more than protecting groups usually do. Particularly, protecting groups can participate in reactions directly or indirectly, thus affecting the stereochemical outcomes, which is important for synthesis of oligosaccharides. Herein we present an overview of recent advances in protecting groups influencing stereoselectivity in glycosylation reactions, including participating protecting groups, and conformation-constraining protecting groups in general.