Unexpected stereocontrolled access to 1α,1'β-disaccharides from methyl 1,2-ortho esters

Synthesis of carbohydrate–BODIPY hybrids

Owing to the relevance of fluorescently labeled carbohydrates in the study of biological processes, we have investigated several routes for the preparation of saccharides covalently linked to borondipyrromethene (BODIPY) fluorophores. We have shown that BODIPY dyes can be used as aglycons through synthetic saccharide protocols. In particular, a per-alkylated 8-(2-hydroxy-methylphenyl)-4,4′-dicyano-BODIPY derivative, which withstands glycosylation and protection/deprotection reaction conditions without decomposition, has been used in the stepwise synthesis of two fluorescently labeled trisaccharides. These saccharides displayed high water solubility and a low tendency to (H-)aggregation, a phenomenon that causes loss of photophysical efficiency in BODIPYs. Two additional synthetic strategies toward glyco-BODIPYs have also been described. The first method relies on a Ferrier-type C-glycosylation of the BODIPY core, leading to linker-free carbohydrate–BODIPY hybrids. Secondly, the application of the Nicholas propargylation reaction to 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl BODIPYs provides access to 2,6-dipropargylated BODIPYs that readily undergo CuAAC reactions with azido-containing sugars. From a photophysical standpoint, the BODIPY-labeled saccharides could be used as stable and fluorescent water-soluble chromophores, thereby addressing one of the current challenges in molecular imaging.

Bringing Color to Sugars: The Chemical Assembly of Carbohydrates to BODIPY Dyes

The combination of carbohydrates with BODIPY fluorophores gives rise to a family of BODIPY-carbohydrate hybrids or glyco-BODIPYs, which mutually benefit from the encounter. Thus, from the carbohydrates standpoint, glyco-BODIPYs can be regarded as fluorescent glycoconjugate derivatives with application in imaging techniques, whereas from the fluorophore view the BODIPY-carbohydrate hybrids benefit from the biocompatibility, water-solubility, and reduced toxicity, among others, brought about by the sugar moiety. In this Account we have intended to present the collection of available methods for the synthesis of BODIPY-carbohydrate hybrids, with a focus on the chemical transformations on the BODIPY core.

A Concise Synthesis of a BODIPY-Labeled Tetrasaccharide Related to the Antitumor PI-88

A convergent synthetic route to a tetrasaccharide related to PI-88, which allows the incorporation of a fluorescent BODIPY-label at the reducing-end, has been developed. The strategy, which features the use of 1,2-methyl orthoesters (MeOEs) as glycosyl donors, illustrates the usefulness of suitably-designed BODIPY dyes as glycosyl labels in synthetic strategies towards fluorescently-tagged oligosaccharides.

BODIPYs as Chemically Stable Fluorescent Tags for Synthetic Glycosylation Strategies towards Fluorescently Labeled Saccharides

A series of fluorescent boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY, 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene) dyes have been designed to participate, as aglycons, in synthetic oligosaccharide protocols. As such, they served a dual purpose: first, by being incorporated at the beginning of the process (at the reducing-end of the growing saccharide moiety), they can function as fluorescent glycosyl tags, facilitating the detection and purification of the desired glycosidic intermediates, and secondly, the presence of these chromophores on the ensuing compounds grants access to fluorescently labeled saccharides. In this context, a sought-after feature of the fluorescent dyes has been their chemical robustness. Accordingly, some BODIPY derivatives described in this work can withstand the reaction conditions commonly employed in the chemical synthesis of saccharides; namely, glycosylation and protecting-group manipulations. Regarding their photophysical properties, the BODIPY-labeled saccharides obtained in this work display remarkable fluorescence efficiency in water, reaching quantum yield values up to 82 %, as well as notable lasing efficiencies and photostabilities.

A convenient synthesis of short-chain α-(1 → 2) mannopyranosyl oligosaccharides

Sugar 1,2-orthoesters are by-products of chemical glycosylation reactions that can be subsequently rearranged in situ to give trans glycosides. They have been used as donors in the synthesis of the latter glycosides with good regio- and stereo-selectivity. Alkyl α-(1 → 2) linked mannopyranosyl disaccharides have been reported as the major products from the rearrangement of mannopyranosyl orthoesters. Recent studies in this laboratory have shown that α-(1 → 2) linked mannopyranosyl di-, tri- and tetrasaccharides can be obtained in one step from mannopyranosyl allyl orthoester under optimized reaction conditions. In addition to the expected mono- and disaccharides (56%), allyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-α-d-mannopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-α-d-mannopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-tri-O-acetyl-α-d-mannopyranoside and allyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-α-d-mannopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-α-d-mannopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-α-d-mannopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-α-d-mannopyranoside were obtained in 23% and 6% isolated yields, respectively, from the oligomerization of a β-d-mannopyranosyl allyl 1,2-orthoester, along with small amounts of higher DP oligomers. Possible mechanisms for the oligomerization and side reactions are proposed based on NMR and mass spectrometric data.

Structural properties of D-mannopyranosyl rings containing O-acetyl side-chains

The crystal structures of 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-acetyl-α-D-mannopyranose, C₁₆H₂₂O₁₁, and 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-α-D-mannopyranosyl-(1→2)-3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-α-D-mannopyranosyl-(1→3)-1,2,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-α-D-mannopyranose, C₄₀H₅₄O₂₇, were determined and compared to those of methyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-α-D-mannopyranoside, methyl α-D-mannopyranoside and methyl α-D-mannopyranosyl-(1→2)-α-D-mannopyranoside to evaluate the effects of O-acetylation on bond lengths, bond angles and torsion angles. In general, O-acetylation exerts little effect on the exo- and endocyclic C-C and endocyclic C-O bond lengths, but the exocyclic C-O bonds involved in O-acetylation are lengthened by ∼0.02 Å. The conformation of the O-acetyl side-chains is highly conserved, with the carbonyl O atom either eclipsing the H atom attached to a 2°-alcoholic C atom or bisecting the H-C-H bond angle of a 1°-alcoholic C atom. Of the two C-O bonds that determine O-acetyl side-chain conformation, that involving the alcoholic C atom exhibits greater rotational variability than that involving the carbonyl C atom. These findings are in good agreement with recent solution NMR studies of O-acetyl side-chain conformations in saccharides. Experimental evidence was also obtained to confirm density functional theory (DFT) predictions of C-O and O-H bond-length behavior in a C-O-H fragment involved in hydrogen bonding.

Unusually Stable Picoloyl-Protected Trimethylsilyl Glycosides for Nonsymmetrical 1,1'-Glycosylation and Synthesis of 1,1'-Disaccharides with Diverse Configurations

Nonsymmetrical 1,1'-disaccharides and related derivatives constitute structural components in various glycolipids and natural products. Some of these compounds have been shown to exhibit appealing biological properties. We report a direct yet stereoselective 1,1'-glycosylation strategy for the synthesis of nonsymmetrical 1,1'-disaccharides with diverse configurations and sugar components. The strategy is based on the joined forces of a new class of configurationally stable glycoside acceptors and stereodirecting thioglycoside donors. The new glycoside acceptors feature a picoloyl (Pico) protecting group at the remote C4/C3 position that confers unusual stability on TMS glycosides under acidic conditions.