Selective preparation of glycosyl sulfone or glycal by treatment of phenyl thioglycoside of N-acetylneuraminic acid with m-chloroperbenzoic acid

Treatment of acetylated phenyl thioglycoside of N-acetylneuraminic acid with m-chloroperbenzoic acid (MCPBA) in CH₂Cl₂ affords quantitatively mixtures of the respective sulfone and glycal free from the sulfoxide. The outcome of the reaction does not depend on the anomeric configuration of the starting thioglycoside. The sulfone can be selectively prepared (yield 100%) by oxidation with an excess of MCPBA and NaHCO₃. In the presence of pyridine (2 equiv.) and MCPBA (2 equiv.), the major product is glycal (yields 81—88%). This version of the reaction can be regarded as a new method for the preparation of sialic acid glycals.