Towards improving the utility of ketoses as organic raw materials1Enantiopure building blocks from sugars, Part 24. For Part 23, see ref.[63].12Dedicated to Professor Kurt Heyns on the occasion of his 90th birthday.2

The synthesis of fructose-based surfactants

This study describes the synthesis of a new class of surfactants that is based on the bioderived building blocks fructose, fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), and hydroxy propionitrile (cyanoethanol, 3-HP). The synthesis is scalable, is carried out at ambient conditions, and does not require chromatography. The produced surfactants have excellent surfactant properties with critical micelle concentrations and Krafft points comparable to current glucose-based surfactants.

Synthesis of a sulfated-group-riched carbonaceous catalyst and its application in the esterification of succinic acid and fructose dehydration to form HMF

A novel sulfated-group-riched sulfonated carbonaceous catalyst with high acidic strength and adjustable ratio of acidic groups was designed in the paper, where glucose and benzyl chloride were hydrothermally carbonized first followed by sulfonation treatment. Various physicochemical techniques were used to characterize the catalyst such as IR, 13C MAS NMR and XPS spectra, NH3-TPD, XRD patterns and TG curve. Then, it was applied in the esterification of succinic acid and fructose dehydration to form HMF. Compared to commercial Amberlyst-15 catalyst, such carbonaceous solid acid exhibited excellent catalytic activity and thermal stability, which was attributed to its higher amount of sulfonic acid group.

The scientific legacy of Frieder W. Lichtenthaler

This article presents a selection of topics from Professor Frieder W. Lichtenthaler's scientific lifework. It describes his contributions to, and further development of, the nitromethane cyclization of dialdehydes leading to amino sugars and amino nucleosides, as well as a new coupling methodology for purine nucleosides. A number of chiral building blocks derived from sugars like the "sugar enolones," enollactones, hydroxyhexenals, and their synthetic applications in natural product syntheses are covered. The article further describes the chemistry of "ulosyl bromides" and their glycosidation reactions, including those with bifunctional acceptors, which led to the synthesis of spectinomycin and gomphoside. Lichtenthaler's work on the preparation of synthetically useful building blocks from disaccharides that are readily available in bulk quantities, and his studies on the reactivity, as well as the selective O-functionalization of sucrose, higher oligosaccharides, and cyclodextrins based on computer simulations, are highlighted. The article also presents his research on the syntheses of chiral building blocks from readily available ketoses and their synthetic applications. Finally the chapter concludes with his significant contributions in the field of the history of carbohydrate chemistry.

Epoxides of d-fructose and l-sorbose: A convenient class of "click" functionality for the synthesis of a rare family of amino- and thio-sugars

The strained epoxide ring of oxirane-derived furanoside and pyranoside of d-fructose are regioselectively opened by various primary and secondary amines as well as azide to yield C4-alkylamino-C4-deoxy and the corresponding azido derivatives. The epoxide ring of a furanoside derived from l-sorbose, a C-5 epimer of d-fructose also afforded C4-amino and C4-azido analogues. All three epoxides generated piperazine linked disaccharides. These epoxides are also easily opened by p-tolylthiol to access thiosugars. One such thiosugar was converted to vinylsulfone-modified fructofuranoside and subjected to nucleophillic addition. A suitably designed vinyl sulfone-modified fructofuranoside having a leaving group at C-6, act as an efficient substrate for MIRC (Michael Initiated Ring Closure) reactions to construct cyclopropane skeleton in d-fructose. The strategy is general in nature and provides an easy access to cyclopropanated sugar derivatives. Thus, the easily accessible "spring loaded" epoxides of d-fructose and l-sorbose have been used as pivotal starting point for the synthesis of hitherto unknown modified carbohydrates.

Short synthesis, X-ray and conformational analysis of a cyclic peracetylated l-sorbose-derived nitrone, a useful intermediate towards N–O-containing d-gluco-iminosugars

A crystalline peracetylated nitrone underwent regio- and stereoselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with alkynes, affording d-gluco-configured isoxazolines as a new class of iminosugars.

One-pot tandem conversion of monosaccharides and disaccharides to 2,5-diformylfuran using a Ru nanoparticle-supported H-beta catalyst

Using a one-pot tandem approach, 2,5-diformylfuran is successfully synthesized in high yields from fructose, glucose and sucrose.

Improved solubilization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in water by surface functionalization with d-glucose and d-fructose

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are difficult to be dispersed into a polymer matrix. For effective reinforcement, the strong interfacial interaction between nanotubes and the matrix is essential to donate the efficient thermal transfer from the matrix to nanotubes. In this study, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were modified with glucose and fructose carbohydrates as biomolecules to obtain Gl-MWCNTs and Fr-MWCNTs. Good water solubilization of MWCNTs was obtained, and these hybrids were expected to be biocompatible. Functionalized MWCNTs were incorporated into a poly(amide–imide) (PAI) matrix-containing alanine through a simple ultrasonication-assisted solution blending procedure. Then, it was tried to compare the obtained nanocomposites morphologically and thermally to study the compatibility between PAI matrix with Gl-MWCNTs and Fr-MWCNTs. Surface morphology observations suggested strong interfacial adhesion between the functionalized MWCNTs and the PAI matrix. This leads to homogeneous distribution of nanotubes throughout the matrix. Significantly better thermal properties of PAI were achieved by introducing Gl-MWCNT into the PAI matrix than that was achieved by similar incorporation of Fr-MWCNTs.

Enantiopure Trisubstituted Tetrahydrofurans with Appendage Diversity: Vinyl Sulfone- and Vinyl Sulfoxide-Modified Furans Derived from Carbohydrates as Synthons for Diversity Oriented Synthesis

Enantiomerically pure 2-substituted-2,5-dihydro-3-(aryl) sulfonyl/sulfinyl furans have been prepared from the easily accessible carbohydrate derivatives. The orientation of the substituents attached at the C-2 position of furans is sufficient to control the diastereoselectivity of the addition of various nucleophiles to the vinyl sulfone/sulfoxide-modified tetrahydrofurans, irrespective of the size of the group. The orientation of the substituents at the C-2 center also suppresses the influence of sulfoxides on the diastereoselectivity of the addition of various nucleophiles. The strategy leads to the creation of appendage diversity, affording a plethora of enantiomerically pure trisubstituted furanics for the first time.

Practical aqueous reactions leading to skeletally diverse carbohydrate-derived ketones

The reactions starting from aldosyl hemiacetals and methyl ketones catalyzed by cheap catalysts and mediated by water producing four types of ketones are reported.

Study on Furfural Production from Hemicelluloses

In this paper, furfural was produced from hemicelluloses of bagass by hydrolization reaction with sulfuric acid and acetic acid respectively. The effect of several variables such as temperature , liquid-to-solid ratio ,time and catalyst charge（KCL） on furfural yield was studied. The results showed that the better yield of furfural was obtained in acetic acid hydrolysis system. However, compared to yield of acetic acid hydrolysis system, it need more time and higher temperature at the same liquid-to-solid ratio. At last, when sulfuric acid as catalyst, liquid-to-solid ratio was 1:6 and time was 5h at 150°C, furfural yield can reach 75 %.

FeCl3 and acetic acid co-catalyzed hydrolysis of corncob for improving furfural production and lignin removal from residue

In order to increase furfural yield and lignin removal, both FeCl(3) and acetic acid were used to co-catalyze the hydrolysis of corncob. A series of experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of acetic acid, FeCl(3) concentrations and temperatures on furfural production and residue characteristics. The results showed that high FeCl(3) concentrations caused serious cellulose degradation while acetic acid was more effective for lignin removal. A maximum furfural yield of 67.89% (35.74% higher than that in conventional sulfuric acid-catalyzed process) was obtained at 180°C in the presence of 20mM of FeCl(3) and 3% of acetic acid. Simultaneously, lignin removal reached 54.79%, and 74.29% of the cellulose was remained for further utilization. Acetic acid and FeCl(3) co-catalyzed hydrolysis was not only a high efficiency and environmental friendly technique, but also provided a possibility to utilize the furfural residue for ethanol production and other industries.

Chemical and enzymatic approaches to carbohydrate-derived spiroketals: di-D-fructose dianhydrides (DFAs)

Di-D-fructose dianhydrides (DFAs) comprise a unique family of stereoisomeric spiro-tricyclic disaccharides formed upon thermal and/or acidic activation of sucrose- and/ or D-fructose-rich materials. The recent discovery of the presence of DFAs in food products and their remarkable nutritional features has attracted considerable interest from the food industry. DFAs behave as low-caloric sweeteners and have proven to exert beneficial prebiotic nutritional functions, favouring the growth of Bifidobacterium spp. In the era of functional foods, investigation of the beneficial properties of DFAs has become an important issue. However, the complexity of the DFA mixtures formed during caramelization or roasting of carbohydrates by traditional procedures (up to 14 diastereomeric spiroketal cores) makes evaluation of their individual properties a difficult challenge. Great effort has gone into the development of efficient procedures to obtain DFAs in pure form at laboratory and industrial scale. This paper is devoted to review the recent advances in the stereoselective synthesis of DFAs by means of chemical and enzymatic approaches, their scope, limitations, and complementarities.

Chemical and enzymatic approaches to carbohydrate-derived spiroketals: di-D-fructose dianhydrides (DFAs)

Di-D-fructose dianhydrides (DFAs) comprise a unique family of stereoisomeric spiro-tricyclic disaccharides formed upon thermal and/or acidic activation of sucrose- and/ or D-fructose-rich materials. The recent discovery of the presence of DFAs in food products and their remarkable nutritional features has attracted considerable interest from the food industry. DFAs behave as low-caloric sweeteners and have proven to exert beneficial prebiotic nutritional functions, favouring the growth of Bifidobacterium spp. In the era of functional foods, investigation of the beneficial properties of DFAs has become an important issue. However, the complexity of the DFA mixtures formed during caramelization or roasting of carbohydrates by traditional procedures (up to 14 diastereomeric spiroketal cores) makes evaluation of their individual properties a difficult challenge. Great effort has gone into the development of efficient procedures to obtain DFAs in pure form at laboratory and industrial scale. This paper is devoted to review the recent advances in the stereoselective synthesis of DFAs by means of chemical and enzymatic approaches, their scope, limitations, and complementarities.

Synthesis of α- and β-Glycosyl Isothiocyanates via Oxazoline Intermediates

A practical synthesis of acylated glycosyl isothiocyanates from sugar oxazolines, by reaction with thiophosgene, is reported. In the absence of any additive, the reaction is governed by the reverse anomeric effect, leading to the equatorially oriented isothiocyanate. However, in the presence of copper(II) chloride, the reaction proceeds preferentially with retention of the configuration at the anomeric center, providing the axial anomer as the major product. Noteworthy, this strategy allows accessing per-O-acetylated glycopyranosyl isothiocyanates with 1,2-cis relative configuration (e.g., the alpha-anomer in the D-gluco and D-galacto series), a problem that was outside the scope of previous methodologies.

Spacer-mediated synthesis of contra-thermodynamic spiroacetals: stereoselective synthesis of C2-symmetric difructose dianhydrides

The xylylene moiety (ortho, meta, and para) was employed as a rigid tether in the spacer-mediated synthesis of difructose dianhydrides (DFAs), a unique class of bis-spiroacetal derivatives present in food products. The synthetic methodology exploits the suitability of triflic acid to promote spirocyclization in organic solvents under irreversible reaction conditions, using anomeric isopropylidene fructose derivatives as precursors. Advantage was taken of the strong dependence of the conformational properties of DFAs on the relative configuration of the spiroketal centers. Highly stereoselective syntheses of the contra-thermodynamic difructofuranose and difructopyranose diastereomers, namely the C2-symmetric derivatives having the beta-configuration at both anomeric centers, have been accomplished by judicious choice of the xylylene positional isomer and of the linking position to the fructose building blocks. Interestingly, the rigid spacer concept has also been implemented to favor intermolecular processes leading to higher macrocyclic architectures that incorporate the bis-spiro fructodisaccharide subunit.

Acidic cesium salts of 12-tungstophosphoric acid as catalysts for the dehydration of xylose into furfural

Cesium salts of 12-tungstophosphoric acid, Cs(x)H(3-x)PW(12)O(40) (Cs(x)PW), in the bulk form or supported on medium-pore MCM-41 (3.7 nm) or large-pore (9.6 nm) micelle-templated silicas are active solid acid catalysts for the cyclodehydration of xylose into furfural, in a toluene/water solvent system (T/W) or in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The catalytic results are comparable to those obtained using sulfuric acid, under similar reaction conditions. The initial activities increase in the order H(3)PW(12)O(40)<Cs(2.0)PW<Cs(2.5)PW<silica-supported CsPW catalysts (15, 34wt% PW). Higher HPA loadings, larger pore diameter of the parent silica support, and higher reaction temperatures lead to higher furfural yields. The stability and reusability of the MCM-41-supported CsPW is higher in DMSO than in T/W.

Towards C-2 symmetrical macrocyles with an incorporated sucrose unit

The first C2 symmetrical macrocyclic receptor containing two sucrose molecules has been prepared, albeit in low yield, by reaction of hexa-O-benzyl-6′-O-acroyl-6-O-allylsucrose in the presence of a second generation Grubbs catalyst (1,3-dimesityl-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene ruthenium alkylidene complex). Highly selective protection of the 6′-OH group in 1′,2,3,3′,4,4′-hexa-O-benzylsucrose was a key step in the preparation of the precursor used under ring closing metathesis (RCM) conditions.Key words: sucrose, macrocyclic receptors, metathesis, regioselective transformations.

The o-xylylene protecting group as an element of conformational control of remote stereochemistry in the synthesis of spiroketals

Protection of trans-1,2-diol segments as cyclic o-xylylene ethers strongly favours diequatorial over diaxial dispositions; the possibility of using this grouping for remote control of the stereochemistry in the synthesis of spiroketals is here demonstrated by the stereoselective synthesis of tricyclic spirodisaccharides (di-D-fructose dianhydrides).

Intramolecular Benzyl Protection Delivery: A Practical Synthesis of DMDP and DGDP from d-Fructose

[reaction: see text] A two-step protection of 1,2-diols as the corresponding o-xylylene cyclic ethers, involving an intramolecular ring-closing O-benzylation reaction, has been developed to overcome the problems associated to regioselective benzylation reactions. The strategy has been applied to the high-yielding synthesis of the pyrrolidine glycosidase inhibitors DMDP and DGDP.