Mild method for the synthesis of α-glycosyl chlorides: A convenient protocol for quick one-pot glycosylation

A simple and efficient protocol for the preparation of α-glycosyl chlorides within 15-30 min is described which employs a stable, cheap, and commercially available Trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA) as non-toxic chlorinating agent along with PPh3. This process involved a wide range of substrate scope and is well-suited with labile hydroxyl protecting groups such as benzyl, acetyl, benzoyl, isopropylidene, benzylidene, and TBDPS (tert-butyldiphenylsilyl) groups. This process is operationally simple, mild conditions and obtained good yields with excellent α selectivity. Moreover, a multi-catalyst one-pot glycosylation can be carried out to transform the glycosyl hemiacetals directly to a various O-glycosides in high overall yields without the need for separation or purification of the α-glycosyl chloride donors.

Unraveling the promoter effect and the roles of counterion exchange in glycosylation reaction

The stereoselectivity of glycosidic bond formation continues to pose a noteworthy hurdle in synthesizing carbohydrates, primarily due to the simultaneous occurrence of SN1 and SN2 processes during the glycosylation reaction. Here, we applied an in-depth analysis of the glycosylation mechanism by using low-temperature nuclear magnetic resonance and statistical approaches. A pathway driven by counterion exchanges and reaction byproducts was first discovered to outline the stereocontributions of intermediates. Moreover, the relative reactivity values, acceptor nucleophilic constants, and Hammett substituent constants (σ values) provided a general index to indicate the mechanistic pathways. These results could allow building block tailoring and reaction condition optimization in carbohydrate synthesis to be greatly facilitated and simplified.

Synthesis and Glycosidation of Anomeric Halides: Evolution from Early Studies to Modern Methods of the 21st Century

Advances in synthetic carbohydrate chemistry have dramatically improved access to common glycans. However, many novel methods still fail to adequately address challenges associated with chemical glycosylation and glycan synthesis. Since a challenge of glycosylation has remained, scientists have been frequently returning to the traditional glycosyl donors. This review is dedicated to glycosyl halides that have played crucial roles in shaping the field of glycosciences and continue to pave the way toward our understanding of chemical glycosylation.

One-Pot Synthesis of Glycosyl Chlorides from Thioglycosides Mediated by Bromodiethylsulfonium Salt as A Mild Oxidant

Conventional synthesis of glycosyl chlorides from thioglycosides relies on the two sequential oxidation and chlorination. A one-pot synthesis of glycosyl chlorides is warranted as an alternative method. Herein, we report the one-pot synthesis of glycosyl chlorides from thioglycoside precursors. The transformation was mediated at low temperature by bromodiethylsulfonium bromopentachloroantimonate (BDSB) as a mild oxidant and n-Bu4NCl as an additive. The armed thioglycosides afforded the corresponding α-glycosyl chlorides in moderate to good yields under the optimized conditions. Low conversions and yields were obtained when the less reactive disarmed thioglycosides were used. Unexpectedly, BDSB-mediated oxidation of thioglycosides without the addition of n-Bu4NCl also afforded the α-glycosyl chlorides in moderate yields. We suggest a mechanism involving the transfer of chloride ions from the non-nucleophilic bromopentachloroantimonate (SbCl5Br) anion to the oxocarbenium ion.

Solvent-free, under air selective synthesis of α-glycosides adopting glycosyl chlorides as donors

α-Glycosides are highly relevant synthetic targets due to their abundance in natural oligosaccharides involved in many biological processes. Nevertheless their preparation is hampered by several issues, due to both the strictly anhydrous conditions typically required in glycosylation procedures and the non-trivial achievement of high α-stereoselectivity, one of the major challenges in oligosaccharide synthesis. In this paper we report a novel and efficient approach for the highly stereoselective synthesis of α-glycosides. This is based on the unprecedented solvent-free combination of triethylphosphite, tetrabutylammonium bromide and N,N-diisopropylethylamine for the activation of glycosyl chlorides under air. Despite the relative stability of glycosyl chlorides with respect to more reactive halide donors, the solvent-free procedure allowed a wide set of α-glycosides, including biorelevant fragments, to be obtained in much shorter times compared with similar glycosylation approaches in solution. The presented method features a wide target scope and functional group compatibility, also serving with partially disarmed substrates, and it does not require a high stoichiometric excess of reagents nor the preparation of expensive precursors. The solvent-free glycosylation can be even directly performed from 1-hydroxy sugars without purification of the in situ generated chloride, providing an especially useful opportunity in the case of highly reactive and labile glycosyl donors.

Applications of Shoda's reagent (DMC) and analogues for activation of the anomeric centre of unprotected carbohydrates

2-Chloro-1,3-dimethylimidazolinium chloride (DMC, herein also referred to as Shoda's reagent) and its derivatives are useful for numerous synthetic transformations in which the anomeric centre of unprotected reducing sugars is selectively activated in aqueous solution. As such unprotected sugars can undergo anomeric substitution with a range of added nucleophiles, providing highly efficient routes to a range of glycosides and glycoconjugates without the need for traditional protecting group manipulations. This mini-review summarizes the development of DMC and some of its derivatives/analogues, and highlights recent applications for protecting group-free synthesis.

Straightforward synthesis of protected 2-hydroxyglycals by chlorination-dehydrochlorination of carbohydrate hemiacetals

A straightforward and scalable method for the synthesis of protected 2-hydroxyglycals is described. The approach is based on the chlorination of carbohydrate-derived hemiacetals, followed by an elimination reaction to establish the glycal moiety. 1,2-dehydrochlorination reactions were studied on a range of glycosyl chlorides to provide suitable reaction conditions for this transformation. Benzyl ether, isopropylidene and benzylidene protecting groups, as well as interglycosidic linkage, were found to be compatible with this protocol. The described method is operationally simple and allows for the quick preparation of 2-hydroxyglycals with other than ester protecting groups, providing a feasible alternative to existing methods.

A Highly Efficient Glycosidation of Glycosyl Chlorides by Using Cooperative Silver(I) Oxide-Triflic Acid Catalysis

Following our discovery that silver(I) oxide-promoted glycosylation with glycosyl bromides can be greatly accelerated in the presence of catalytic TMSOTf or TfOH, we report herein a new discovery that glycosyl chlorides are even more effective glycosyl donors under these reaction conditions. The developed reaction conditions work well with a variety of glycosyl chlorides. Both benzoylated and benzylated chlorides have been successfully glycosidated, and these reaction conditions proved to be effective in coupling substrates containing nitrogen and sulfur atoms. Another convenient feature of this glycosylation is that the progress of the reaction can be monitored visually; its completion can be judged by the disappearance of the characteristic dark color of Ag2 O.

Perfluorophenylboronic acid-catalyzed direct α-stereoselective synthesis of 2-deoxygalactosides from deactivated peracetylated d-galactal

Perfluorophenylboronic acid 1c catalyzes the direct stereoselective addition of alcohol nucleophiles to deactivated peracetylated d-galactal to give 2-deoxygalactosides in 55-88% yield with complete α-selectivity. The unprecedented results reported here also enable the synthesis of disaccharides containing the 2-deoxygalactose moiety directly from the deactivated peracetylated d-galactal. This convenient and metal-free glycosylation method works well with a wide range of alcohol nucleophiles as acceptors and tolerates a range of functional groups without the formation of the Ferrier byproduct and without the need for a large excess of nucleophiles or additives. The method is potentially useful for the synthesis of a variety of α-2-deoxygalactosides.

Synthesis of glycosyl chlorides using catalytic Appel conditions

The stereoselective synthesis of glycosyl chlorides using catalytic Appel conditions is described. Good yields of α-glycosyl chlorides were obtained using a range of glycosyl hemiacetals, oxalyl chloride and 5 mol% Ph₃PO. For 2-deoxysugars treatment of the corresponding hemiacetals with oxalyl chloride without phosphine oxide catalyst also gave good yields of glycosyl chloride. The method is operationaly simple and the 5 mol% phosphine oxide by-product can be removed easily. Alternatively a one-pot, multi-catalyst glycosylation can be carried out to transform the glycosyl hemiacetal directly to a glycoside.

Investigation of Glycosyl Nitrates as Building Blocks for Chemical Glycosylation

Glycosyl nitrates are important synthetic intermediates in the synthesis of 2-amino sugars, 1,2-orthoesters or, more recently, 2-OH glucose. However, glycosyl nitrates have never been glycosidated. Presented herein is our first attempt to use glycosyl nitrates as glycosyl donors for O-glycosylation. Lanthanide triflates showed good affinity to activate the nitrate leaving group.

Iron(iii) chloride-catalyzed activation of glycosyl chlorides

Glycosyl chlorides have historically been activated using harsh conditions and/or toxic stoichiometric promoters. More recently, the Ye and the Jacobsen groups showed that glycosyl chlorides can be activated under organocatalytic conditions. However, those reactions are slow, require specialized catalysts and high temperatures, but still provide only moderate yields. Presented herein is a simple method for the activation of glycosyl chlorides using abundant and inexpensive ferric chloride in catalytic amounts. Our preliminary results indicate that both benzylated and benzoylated glycosyl chlorides can be activated with 20 mol% of FeCl3.