Cu(I)-Catalyzed Click Chemistry in Glycoscience and Their Diverse Applications

Copper(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between organic azides and terminal alkynes, commonly known as CuAAC or click chemistry, has been identified as one of the most successful, versatile, reliable, and modular strategies for the rapid and regioselective construction of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles as diversely functionalized molecules. Carbohydrates, an integral part of living cells, have several fascinating features, including their structural diversity, biocompatibility, bioavailability, hydrophilicity, and superior ADME properties with minimal toxicity, which support increased demand to explore them as versatile scaffolds for easy access to diverse glycohybrids and well-defined glycoconjugates for complete chemical, biochemical, and pharmacological investigations. This review highlights the successful development of CuAAC or click chemistry in emerging areas of glycoscience, including the synthesis of triazole appended carbohydrate-containing molecular architectures (mainly glycohybrids, glycoconjugates, glycopolymers, glycopeptides, glycoproteins, glycolipids, glycoclusters, and glycodendrimers through regioselective triazole forming modular and bio-orthogonal coupling protocols). It discusses the widespread applications of these glycoproducts as enzyme inhibitors in drug discovery and development, sensing, gelation, chelation, glycosylation, and catalysis. This review also covers the impact of click chemistry and provides future perspectives on its role in various emerging disciplines of science and technology.

Cu-Catalyzed Click Reaction in Carbohydrate Chemistry

Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (CuAAC), popularly known as the "click reaction", serves as the most potent and highly dependable tool for facile construction of simple to complex architectures at the molecular level. Click-knitted threads of two exclusively different molecular entities have created some really interesting structures for more than 15 years with a broad spectrum of applicability, including in the fascinating fields of synthetic chemistry, medicinal science, biochemistry, pharmacology, material science, and catalysis. The unique properties of the carbohydrate moiety and the advantages of highly chemo- and regioselective click chemistry, such as mild reaction conditions, efficient performance with a wide range of solvents, and compatibility with different functionalities, together produce miraculous neoglycoconjugates and neoglycopolymers with various synthetic, biological, and pharmaceutical applications. In this review we highlight the successful advancement of Cu(I)-catalyzed click chemistry in glycoscience and its applications as well as future scope in different streams of applied sciences.

Preparation of methyl ester precursors of biologically active agents

This method enables scientists to easily convert biologically active carboxylic acids into their methyl esters ("pro-drugs" generally having improved ability to penetrate cell membranes) using only equipment commonly found in a biology laboratory. An ion-exchange resin is used to convert the acid into its salt, which is thereby sequestered on the resin. The addition of methyl iodide converts the salt to the ester, which has no affinity for the resin and is readily eluted. Evaporation of the liquid phase provides the pure methyl ester. The preparation in good chemical yields of methyl esters of bioactive agents in excellent purity and 10-20 mg quantities can be achieved using this method. The method can be completed in 1 day.

Synthesis of substituted septanosyl-1,2,3-triazoles

A carbohydrate-based oxepine, derived from 2-deoxy-D-arabino-hexopyranose, was used to prepare a family of septanosyl-1,2,3-triazoles in four steps. DMDO mediated epoxidation of the oxepine followed by trapping of the intermediate 1,2-anhydroseptanose by sodium azide gave the beta-substituted glycosyl azide. The septanosyl azide was then reacted with a number of alkynes under thermal Huisgen or copper(I) mediated reaction conditions. Hydrogenolysis of benzyl protecting groups gave substituted septanosyl-1,2,3-triazoles. The new septanose-based structures were then evaluated as potential glycosidase inhibitors.

Recent applications of the CuI-catalysed Huisgen azide–alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction in carbohydrate chemistry

This article surveys recent applications of Cu(I)-catalysed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azides and alkynes in carbohydrate chemistry, highlighting developments in the preparation of simple glycoside and oligosaccharide mimetics, glyco-macrocycles, glycopeptides, glyco-clusters and carbohydrate arrays.

N-Glycoside neoglycotrimers from 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl azide

2,3,4,6-Tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl azide is available on large scale from D-glucose by means of a three-step sequence involving acetylation, activation as the glycosyl bromide, and stereospecific displacement with azide anion. The azide functionality then serves as a convenient anchor upon which to introduce new functionality, usually with retention of the beta-stereochemistry. Here we report the synthesis of an amide-linked N-glycosyl trimer, by employing a Staudinger-aza-Wittig process on the azide, as well as a hybrid N-glycosyl triazole-amide-linked trimer in which the sugars are separated by 1,2,3-triazole heterocycles. Both of these neoglycotrimers are isolated in good yield with high beta-selectivity in each case.

Glycosidase inhibition by 1-glycosyl-4-phenyl triazoles

1-Glycosyl-4-phenyl triazoles have been prepared via a copper-mediated [3+2] cycloaddition of glycosyl azides with phenylacetylene. These triazoles have been evaluated for their ability to inhibit the enzymatic activity of glycosidases.