Ring Expansion of Oxyglycals. Synthesis and Conformational Analysis of Septanoside-Containing Trisaccharides

Stereoselective Entry into α,α'-C-Oxepane Scaffolds through a Chalcogen Bonding Catalyzed Strain-Release C-Septanosylation Strategy

The utility of unconventional noncovalent interactions (NCIs) such as chalcogen bonding has lately emerged as a robust platform to access synthetically difficult glycosides stereoselectively. Herein, we disclose the versatility of a phosphonochalcogenide (PCH) catalyst to facilitate access into the challenging, but biologically interesting 7-membered ring α,α'-C-disubstituted oxepane core through an α-selective strain-release C-glycosylation. Methodically, this strategy represents a switch from more common but entropically less desired macrocyclizations to a thermodynamically favored ring-expansion approach. In light of the general lack of stereoselective methods to access C-septanosides, a remarkable palette of silyl-based nucleophiles can be reliably employed in our method. This include a broad variety of useful synthons, such as easily available silyl-allyl, silyl-enol ether, silyl-ketene acetal, vinylogous silyl-ketene acetal, silyl-alkyne and silylazide reagents. Mechanistic investigations suggest that a mechanistic shift towards an intramolecular aglycone transposition involving a pentacoordinate silicon intermediate is likely responsible in steering the stereoselectivity.

Cooperative Bifurcated Chalcogen Bonding and Hydrogen Bonding as Stereocontrolling Elements for Selective Strain-Release Septanosylation

The exploitation of noncovalent interactions (NCIs) is emerging as a vital handle in tackling broad stereoselectivity challenges in synthesis. In particular, there has been significant recent interest in the harnessing of unconventional NCIs to surmount difficult selectivity challenges in glycosylations. Herein, we disclose the exploitation of an unconventional bifurcated chalcogen bonding and hydrogen bonding (HB) network, which paves the way for a robust catalytic strategy into biologically useful seven-membered ring sugars. Through 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in situ monitoring, NMR titration experiments, and density functional theory (DFT) modeling, we propose a remarkable contemporaneous activation of multiple functional groups consisting of a bifurcated chalcogen bonding mechanism working hand-in-hand with HB activation. Significantly, the ester moiety installed on the glycosyl donor is critical in the establishment of the postulated ternary complex for stereocontrol. Through the 13C kinetic isotopic effect and kinetic studies, our data corroborated that a dissociative SNi-type mechanism forms the stereocontrolling basis for the excellent α-selectivity.

Synthesis of a Diacetonide-Protected, Mannose-Based Oxepine: Configurational Control of Anomeric Acetate Activation

Carbohydrate-based oxepines are seven-membered-ring oxacycles containing an enol ether moiety. These compounds have been used as intermediates in the preparation of septanose carbohydrates by functionalization through their double bond. Reported here is a new synthesis of a carbohydrate based oxepine that uses 2,3;4,6-di-O-acetonide mannose as a key starting material. The oxepine is an important precursor used in the synthesis of septanose glycomimetics of mannopyranosides. The central feature of the synthesis is a two-step sequence that converts a septanose 1,2-di-O-acetate to the septanosyl bromide and onward to the oxepine via a reductive elimination.

Mechanistic Studies on the Base-Promoted Ring Opening of Glycal-Derived gem-Dibromocyclopropanes

In the presence of a nucleophilic base, ring-fused gem-dibromocyclopropanes derived from d-glycals undergo ring opening to give 2-deoxy-2-(E-bromomethylene)glycosides. Such cleavage of an exocyclic cyclopropane bond contrasts with the more usual silver-promoted ring-expansion reactions in which endocyclic bond cleavage occurs. Experimental and theoretical studies are reported which provide insights into the reaction mechanism and the origin of its kinetic selectivity for E-configured bromoalkene products. Density functional theory computations (M06-2X) predict that the reaction commences with alkoxide-induced HBr elimination from the dibromocyclopropane to form a bromocyclopropene. Ring opening then gives a configurationally stable zwitterionic (oxocarbenium cation/vinyl carbanion) intermediate, which undergoes nucleophilic addition and protonation to give the bromoalkene. There are two competing sources of the proton in the final step: One is the alcohol (co)solvent, and the other is the molecule of alcohol produced during the initial deprotonation step. The roles of the formed alcohol molecule and the bulk (co)solvent are demonstrated by isotope-labeling studies performed with deuterated solvents. The acid-promoted isomerization of the E-bromoalkene product into the corresponding Z-bromoalkene is also described. The mechanistic knowledge gained in this investigation sheds light on the unusual chemistry of this system and facilitates its future application in new settings.

Characterization of the low energy conformations and differential reactivities of D-glucose and D-mannose based oxepines

Carbohydrate-based oxepines are valuable intermediates for the synthesis of septanose carbohydrates. Here we report the characterization of the preferred conformations of D-glucose and D-mannose based oxepines 1 and 2 using computational chemistry and NMR spectroscopy. Monte Carlo conformational searches on 1 and 2 were performed, followed by DFT optimization and single-point energy calculations on the low energy conformations of each oxepine. Coupling constants were computed for all unique conformations at a B3LYP/6-31G(d,p)u+1s level of theory and weighted based on a Boltzmann distribution. These values were then compared to the experimental values collected using ³J_H,H values collected from ¹H NMR spectra. Information from the MC/DFT approach was then used in a least squares method that correlated DFT calculated and observed ³J_H,H coupling constants. The conformations of 1 and 2 are largely governed by a combination of the rigidifying enol ether element in combination with the reduction of unfavorable interactions. The vinylogous anomeric effect (VAE) emerged as a consequence, rather than a driver of conformations. Oxepine 1 showed greater reactivity in Ferrier rearrangement reactions relative to oxepine 2, in line with its greater %VAE.

Display of Rich Reactivities of Endo- and Exocyclic Unsaturated Sugars that Parallel the Native Sugars

Unsaturated monosaccharides expand the scope of reactivities in a sugar, directly leading to the development of newer methodologies, molecular structures and functional entities. The unsaturation as a reactive moiety can either be within the molecule, namely, endocyclic, or as a pendant moiety around the molecule, namely, exocyclic. One carbon homologations aided by reactions at the unsaturated moiety expand the molecular structures in both endo- and exocyclic sugars and lead to structures that are largely hitherto unknown. Molecular shifts and rearrangements permit interchanging the reactivities from one carbon to the other in unsaturated sugars. Activations of exocyclic unsaturated sugars also find newer possibilities to reactions central to the sugar chemistry, namely, the glycosylations. The personal reflections result from a couple of decades of explorations that traverse through the unsaturated sugars from different vantage points.

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 practical and scalable synthesis of carbohydrate based oxepines

An efficient, seven-step synthesis of carbohydrate based oxepines is reported using per-O-acetyl septanoses as key intermediates. The scope of the synthesis was evaluated by varying both the pyranose starting materials and protecting groups incorporated into the oxepine products. The practicality of the method make it amenable to scale up as demonstrated by the gram-scale synthesis of the d-glucose derived oxepine.

Recent advances in the syntheses, transformations and applications of 1,1-dihalocyclopropanes

gem-Dihalocyclopropanes have wide-spread applications in organic synthesis due to their versatile chemistry. They can serve as substrates for a large range of useful materials such as natural products, alkaloids, cyclopropanes, heterocycles, aromatic ring systems etc. Normally the dihalocyclopropanes are prepared by the addition of dihalocarbene to alkene, but due to the great synthetic efficacy of gem-dihalocyclopropanes a number of methods have been developed for their synthesis. Generally gem-dihalocyclopropanes exist as strained cyclic systems with astonishing kinetic stability. They are capable of undergoing transformations leading to a variety of products which have potential applications in various synthetic organic chemistry fields.

Reactions of 1,2-cyclopropyl carbohydrates

Addition of a carbene to a glycal is the prominent method for the synthesis of 1,2-cyclopropyl carbohydrates. This incorporation of a cyclopropane into a carbohydrate scaffold enables divergent reactivity, with the two main classes being ring expansion and cleavage to 2-C-branched carbohydrates. A wide variety of products are obtained depending on the functionality attached to the cyclopropane (none or ester or halogens) and the promoter (Lewis acid, Brønsted acid, halophile or base) used in the reaction. This article reviews progress in the synthesis and reactions of 1,2-cyclopropyl carbohydrates since 2000 and discloses efforts by our group in the area.

Analysis of the conformations of septanoside sugars

Conformational analysis of unnatural seven-membered sugars, namely, septanoses and septanosides are discussed herein. The conformational properties of these sugars in the solid state, solution phase and computational methods are presented. The analyses reveal that conformations of septanosides are diverse and largely unpredictable, as compared furanosides and pyranosides.

Exclusive ring opening of gem-dihalo-1,2-cyclopropanated oxyglycal to oxepines in AgOAc

Treatment of gem-dihalo-1,2-cyclopropanated d-oxyglycal with primary, secondary, and unsaturated alcohols, in the presence of AgOAc, leads to the formation of chloro-oxepines exclusively. Reaction of the resulting 2-chloro-oxepines with excess alcohol in the presence of AgOAc, do not promote further reactions. This result is in contrast to the reactions of d-glucal derived halo-oxepine with alcohols known previously that lead to the formation of furanoses as the major product under similar reaction conditions. Observation of this study consolidates the reactivity differences of gem-dihalo-1,2-cyclopropanated oxyglycals, as compared to gem-dihalo-1,2-cyclopropanated glycals.

Stereospecific [3+2] cycloaddition of 1,2-cyclopropanated sugars and ketones catalyzed by SnCl4: an efficient synthesis of multi-substituted perhydrofuro[2,3-b]furans and perhydrofuro[2,3-b]pyrans

An efficient stereospecific [3+2] cycloaddition of 1,2-cyclopropanated sugars and ketones catalyzed by SnCl₄ is described.

A one-pot septanoside formation and glycosylation of acyclic dithioacetals derived from 1,2-cyclopropanated sugars

A one-pot septanoside formation and glycosylation of acyclic dithioacetals derived from 1,2-cyclopropanated sugars is reported.

Branching out at C-2 of septanosides. Synthesis of 2-deoxy-2-C-alkyl/aryl septanosides from a bromo-oxepine

This paper deals with the synthesis of 2-deoxy-2-C-alkyl/aryl septanosides. A range of such septanoside derivatives was synthesized by using a common bromo-oxepine intermediate, involving C-C bond forming organometallic reactions. Unsaturated, seven-membered septanoside vinyl bromides or bromo-oxepines, obtained through a ring expansion methodology of the cyclopropane derivatives of oxyglycals, displayed a good reactivity towards several acceptor moieties in C-C bond forming Heck, Suzuki and Sonogashira coupling reactions, thus affording 2-deoxy-2-C-alkyl/aryl septanosides. Whereas Heck and Sonogashira coupling reactions afforded 2-deoxy-2-C-alkenyl and -alkynyl derivatives, respectively, the Suzuki reaction afforded 2-deoxy-2-C-aryl septanosides. Deprotection and reduction of the 2-deoxy-2-alkenyl derivative afforded the corresponding 2-deoxy-2-C-alkyl septanoside free of protecting groups. The present study illustrates the reactivity of bromo-oxepine in the synthesis of hitherto unknown septanosides, branching out at C-2, through C-C bond formation with alkyl and aryl substituents.

Synthesis and properties of septanose carbohydrates

Seven-atom ring sugars, called septanoses, are increasingly the focus of scientific inquiries because of their potential biological activities. This article details the synthesis, conformational analysis, and protein-binding properties of septanose carbohydrates. A distinction is drawn between septanoses that are substituted in the 6-position of the ring and those that are not. When a C-6 substituent is absent, the structure is essentially that of an aldohexose in its septanose, rather than furanose or pyranose, ring form; they may play as-of-yet unexplored roles in glycobiology. Septanoses having a hydroxymethyl group at C-6, on the other hand, are ring-expanded analogues of pyranoses. Syntheses have moved beyond the preparation of seven-membered ring monosaccharides to the development of septanosyl donors. These donors have been used in the synthesis of novel di- and trisaccharides that contain septanoses as well as a variety of glycoconjugates. Low-energy conformations adopted by septanoses have been organized based on ring substitution and stereochemistry. Instances where septanoses have been demonstrated to bind to natural proteins are presented and analyzed. The major conclusion drawn in the chapter is that advances in the synthesis of septanose carbohydrates now enable a detailed investigation of their activity in a number of biological contexts.