An armed-disarmed approach for blocking aglycon transfer of thioglycosides

Thioglycosides are used frequently as glycosyl donors and as mimetics of O-glycosides. While being very useful, thioglycosides are prone to a detrimental side reaction referred to as aglycon transfer. In this letter, it is shown that aglycon transfer can be blocked by matching thioglycoside-containing acceptors with more armed glycosyl donors.     

Stereoselective 1,2-cis glycosylation of 2-O-allyl protected thioglycosides

The technique of intramolecular aglycon delivery (IAD), whereby a glycosyl acceptor is temporarily appended to a hydroxyl group of a glycosyl donor is an attractive method that can allow the synthesis of 1,2-cis glycosides in an entirely stereoselective fashion. 2-O-Allyl protected thioglycoside donors are excellent substrates for IAD, and may be glycosylated stereoselectively through a three-step reaction sequence. This sequence consists of quantitative yielding allyl bond isomerisation, to produce vinyl ethers that can then undergo N-iodosuccinimide mediated tethering of the desired glycosyl acceptor, and subsequent intramolecular glycosylation, to yield either alpha-glucosides or beta-mannosides accordingly. Although attempted one-pot tethering and glycosylation is hampered by competitive intermolecular reaction with excess glycosyl acceptor, this problem can be simply overcome by the use of excess glycosyl donor. Allyl mediated IAD is a widely applicable practical alternative to other IAD approaches for the synthesis of beta-mannosides, that is equally applicable for alpha-gluco linkages. It is advantageous in terms of both simplicity of application and yield, and in addition has no requirement for cyclic 4,6-protection of the glycosyl donor.     

Studies on the Selectivity Between Nickel-Catalyzed 1,2-cis-2-Amino Glycosylation of Hydroxyl Groups of Thioglycoside Acceptors with C(2)-Substituted Benzylidene N-Phenyl Trifluoroacetimidates and Intermolecular Aglycon Transfer of the Sulfide Group

The stereoselective synthesis of saccharide thioglycosides containing 1,2-cis-2-amino glycosidic linkages is challenging. In addition to the difficulties associated with achieving high α-selectivity in the formation of 1,2-cis-2-amino glycosidic bonds, the glycosylation reaction is hampered by undesired transfer of the anomeric sulfide group from the glycosyl acceptor to the glycosyl donor. Overcoming these obstacles will pave the way for the preparation of oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates bearing the 1,2-cis-2-amino glycosidic linkages because the saccharide thioglycosides obtained can serve as donors for another coupling iteration. This approach streamlines selective deprotection and anomeric derivatization steps prior to the subsequent coupling event. We have developed an efficient approach for the synthesis of highly yielding and α-selective saccharide thioglycosides containing 1,2-cis-2-amino glycosidic bonds, via cationic nickel-catalyzed glycosylation of thioglycoside acceptors bearing the 2-trifluoromethylphenyl aglycon with N-phenyl trifluoroacetimidate donors. The 2-trifluoromethylphenyl group effectively blocks transfer of the anomeric sulfide group from the glycosyl acceptor to the C(2)-benzylidene donor and can be easily installed and activated. The current method also highlights the efficacy of the nickel catalyst selectively activating the C(2)-benzylidene imidate group in the presence of the anomeric sulfide group on the glycosyl acceptors.     

Gram scale synthesis of the glucuronide metabolite of ABT-724

A gram scale synthesis of the glucuronide metabolite of ABT-724 is reported. Glycosidic coupling between a trichloroacetimidate glucuronyl donor and a Cbz-protected hydroxypyridylpiperazine glycosyl acceptor is the key step in the synthesis, since attempts to directly glucuronidate the aglycon, aglycon derivatives, and other truncated glycosyl acceptors were unsuccessful. The route was used to produce 2.1 g of metabolite in eight steps from 2-chloro-5-hydroxypyridine in 21% overall yield.     

Beta-selective glycosylations with masked D-mycosamine precursors

[reaction: see text]. Both an intramolecular aglycon delivery (IAD) method and an intermolecular S(N)2 displacement method were examined for beta-selective glycosylations of cholesterol with D-mycosamine. An anomeric sulfoxide, sulfide, selenide, and fluoride were all successfully used as glycosyl donors in IAD reactions. The alpha-bromo ketone 19 was synthesized from protected mycosamine and employed in an intermolecular S(N)2 glycosylation reaction. Both routes were successful for the model alcohol, cholesterol.     

Hydrogen bond activated glycosylation under mild conditions

Herein, we report a new glycosylation system for the highly efficient and stereoselective formation of glycosidic bonds using glycosyl N-phenyl trifluoroacetimidate (PTFAI) donors and a charged thiourea hydrogen-bond-donor catalyst. The glycosylation protocol features broad substrate scope, controllable stereoselectivity, good to excellent yields and exceptionally mild catalysis conditions. Benefitting from the mild reaction conditions, this new hydrogen bond-mediated glycosylation system in combination with a hydrogen bond-mediated aglycon delivery system provides a reliable method for the synthesis of challenging phenolic glycosides. In addition, a chemoselective glycosylation procedure was developed using different imidate donors (trichloroacetimidates, N-phenyl trifluoroacetimidates, N-4-nitrophenyl trifluoroacetimidates, benzoxazolyl imidates and 6-nitro-benzothiazolyl imidates) and it was applied for a trisaccharide synthesis through a novel one-pot single catalyst strategy.

A mild glycosylation system was developed using glycosyl imidate donors and a charge-enhanced thiourea H-bond donor catalyst. The method can be used for the effective synthesis of O-, C-, S- and N-glycosides and chemoselective one-pot glycosylation.     

Allyl protecting group mediated intramolecular aglycon delivery (IAD): synthesis of α-glucofuranosides and β-rhamnopyranosides

The use of allyl protecting group mediated intramolecular aglycon delivery (IAD) as a strategy for intramolecular glycosylation has been extended to allow the stereoselective synthesis of α-glucofuranosides and β-rhamnopyranosides, in a totally stereoselective fashion. The efficiency of intramolecular glycosylation is dependent on the protecting group pattern of the glycosyl donor, and on the steric bulk of the glycosyl acceptor.     

Oligosaccharide synthesis with glycosyl phosphate and dithiophosphate triesters as glycosylating agents

Described is an efficient one-pot synthesis of alpha- and beta-glycosyl phosphate and dithiophosphate triesters from glycals via 1,2-anhydrosugars. Glycosyl phosphates function as versatile glycosylating agents for the synthesis of beta-glucosidic, beta-galactosidic, alpha-fucosidic, alpha-mannosidic, beta-glucuronic acid, and beta-glucosamine linkages upon activation with trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate (TMSOTf). In addition to serving as efficient donors for O-glycosylations, glycosyl phosphates are effective in the preparation of S-glycosides and C-glycosides. Furthermore, the acid-catalyzed coupling of glycosyl phosphates with silylated acceptors is also discussed. Glycosyl dithiophosphates are synthesized and are also used as glycosyl donors. This alternate method offers compatibility with acceptors containing glycals to form beta-glycosides. To minimize protecting group manipulations, orthogonal and regioselective glycosylation strategies with glycosyl phosphates are reported. An orthogonal glycosylation method involving the activation of a glycosyl phosphate donor in the presence of a thioglycoside acceptor is described, as is an acceptor-mediated regioselective glycosylation strategy. Additionally, a unique glycosylation strategy exploiting the difference in reactivity of alpha- and beta-glycosyl phosphates is disclosed. The procedures outlined here provide the basis for the assembly of complex oligosaccharides in solution and by automated solid-phase synthesis with glycosyl phosphate building blocks exclusively or in concert with other donors.     

Mapping the Relationship between Glycosyl Acceptor Reactivity and Glycosylation Stereoselectivity

The reactivity of both coupling partners—the glycosyl donor and acceptor—is decisive for the outcome of a glycosylation reaction, in terms of both yield and stereoselectivity. Where the reactivity of glycosyl donors is well understood and can be controlled through manipulation of the functional/protecting‐group pattern, the reactivity of glycosyl acceptor alcohols is poorly understood. We here present an operationally simple system to gauge glycosyl acceptor reactivity, which employs two conformationally locked donors with stereoselectivity that critically depends on the reactivity of the nucleophile. A wide array of acceptors was screened and their structure–reactivity/stereoselectivity relationships established. By systematically varying the protecting groups, the reactivity of glycosyl acceptors can be adjusted to attain stereoselective cis‐glucosylations.     

Synthesis of docosasaccharide arabinan motif of mycobacterial cell wall

Mycobacterial arabinan is a common constituent of both arabinogalactan (AG) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM). In this study, synthesis of β-Araf containing common arabinan docosasaccharide motif (22 Araf monomer units) of mycobacterial cell wall was achieved. Our synthetic strategy toward arabinan involves (1) the stereoselective β-arabinofuranosylation using both 3,5-O-TIPDS-protected and NAP-protected arabinofuranosyl donors for straightforward intermolecular glycosylation and intramolecular aglycon delivery (IAD), respectively, and (2) the convergent fragment coupling with branched fragments at the linear sequence using thioglycoside donor obtained from the corresponding acetonide at the reducing terminal of each fragment through a three-step procedure. Because the acetonide at the reducing terminal of all fragments would be converted to thioglycoside as the glycosyl donor, and mainly Bn ether protections were used, our strategy will be readily applicable to the synthesis of more complex arabinan, arabinogalactan, and arabinomycolate derived from mycobacterial CWS.     

A Highly Efficient Glycosidation of Glycosyl Chlorides by Using Cooperative Silver(I) Oxide–Triflic Acid Catalysis

Following our discovery that silver(I) oxide-promoted glycosylation with glycosyl bromides can be greatly accelerated in the presence of catalytic TMSOTf or TfOH, we report herein a new discovery that glycosyl chlorides are even more effective glycosyl donors under these reaction conditions. The developed reaction conditions work well with a variety of glycosyl chlorides. Both benzoylated and benzylated chlorides have been successfully glycosidated, and these reaction conditions proved to be effective in coupling substrates containing nitrogen and sulfur atoms. Another convenient feature of this glycosylation is that the progress of the reaction can be monitored visually; its completion can be judged by the disappearance of the characteristic dark color of Ag₂O.     

Mechanistic studies and methods to prevent aglycon transfer of thioglycosides

Thioglycosides have been employed extensively for the synthesis of complex oligosaccharides, carbohydrate libraries, and mimetics of O-glycosides. While very useful, aglycon transfer is a problematic side reaction with thioglycosides. In this paper, a series of mechanistic studies are described. The aglycon transfer process is shown to affect both armed and disarmed thioglycosides, cause anomerization of the carbon-sulfur bond of a thioglycoside, and destroy the product of a glycosylation reaction. The results indicate that the aglycon transfer process can be a major problem for a wide range of thioglycosides. This side reaction is especially important to consider when carrying out complex reactions such as solid-phase glycosylations, one-pot or orthogonal multicomponent glycosylations, and construction of carbohydrate libraries. To prevent transfer, a number of modified aglycons were examined. The 2,6-dimethylphenyl (DMP) aglycon was found to effectively block transfer in a variety of model studies and glycosylation reactions. The DMP group can be installed in one step from a commercially available thiol (2,6-dimethylthiophenol) and is useable as a glycosyl donor. On the basis of these features, the DMP group is proposed as a convenient and improved aglycon for thioglycosides.     

Protecting group free glycosidations using p-toluenesulfonohydrazide donors

N'-Glycopyranosylsulfonohydrazides are introduced as glycosyl donors for protecting group free synthesis of O-glycosides, glycosyl azides, and oxazolines. Mono- and disaccharides containing a reducing terminal N-acetylglucosamine residue were condensed with p-toluenesulfonylhydrazide to give the desired beta- d-pyranose donors. These donors can be activated with NBS and then glycosidated with the desired alcohol or transformed to the oxazoline or glycosyl azide.     

Application of the superarmed glycosyl donor to chemoselective oligosaccharide synthesis

Recently, we discovered a novel method for "superarming" glycosyl donors. Herein, this concept has been exemplified in one-pot oligosaccharide syntheses, whereby the superarmed glycosyl donor was chemoselectively activated over traditional "armed" and disarmed glycosyl acceptors. Direct side-by-side comparison of the reactivities of the classic armed and superarmed glycosyl donors further validates the credibility of the novel concept.     

On-resin generation and reactions of orthogonal glycosyl donors

An orthogonal series of glycosyl donors has been generated in situ from thiophenylglycosides appended to a hydroxymethylpolystyrene resin through a succinate linker. The conditions used to generate these donors and their subsequent reactions with sugar acceptors will be described.     

First O-glycosylation of hydroxamic acids

The first O-glycosylation of hydroxamic acids is reported. This process involves the use of glycosyl N-phenyl trifluoroacetimidates as glycosyl donors in the presence TMSOTf and 4 A molecular sieves in dichloromethane. Under such conditions, a wide range of new glycosyl donors including glucosyl, galactosyl, mannosyl, glucuronyl, and ribosyl hydroxamates were prepared in good to high yields. This procedure appears to be an advantageous alternative for the synthesis of glycosyl hydroxamates of biological interest.     

Armed-disarmed effect of remote protecting groups on the glycosylation reaction of 2,3-dideoxyglycosyl donors

The armed-disarmed effect of remote protecting groups at the C-4 and/or C-6 position(s) on the glycosylation reactions of 2,3-dideoxyglycosyl donors was investigated. It was found that under various glycosylation conditions, 4- or 6-O-Bn 2,3-dideoxyglycosyl donors were much more reactive than the corresponding 4,6-di-O-Bz 2,3-dideoxyglycosyl donors. Based on these results, an effective and chemoselective glycosylation reaction using 4,6-di-O-Bn glycosyl acetate and 4-OH-6-O-Bz glycosyl acetate was realized, producing a 2,3-dideoxydisaccharide in good yield with high α-stereoselectivity.     

Effective synthesis of nucleosides with glycosyl trifluoroacetimidates as donors

Glycosyl trifluoroacetimidates have been disclosed to be effective glycosyl donors for the synthesis of nucleosides; the present N-glycosylation protocol requires only a catalytic amount of TMSOTf as promoter and proceeds smoothly at room temperature.     

Synthesis and use of glycosyl phosphates as glycosyl donors

Differentially protected glycosyl phosphates prepared by a straightforward synthesis from glycal precursors are used as powerful glycosyl donors. Activation of beta-glycosyl phosphates by TMSOTf at -78 degrees C achieves the selective formation of beta-glycosidic linkages in excellent yields with complete stereoselectivity. Reaction with thiols results in the conversion of glycosyl phosphates into thioglycosides in nearly quantitative yield. An orthogonal coupling strategy using glycosyl phosphate donors and thioethyl glycoside acceptors allows for the rapid synthesis of a trisaccharide.     

Sequential one-pot glycosylation with glycosyl N-trichloroacetylcarbamate and trichloroacetate including dehydrative approach using 1-hydroxy sugars

An efficient sequential one-pot glycosylation has been developed with glycosyl trichlorocarbamate and trichloroacetate activated by the same Lewis acid and enabled by a change in reaction temperature. The αα-selective glycosylation was achieved using glucose, galactose, and mannose substrates after investigation into the reactivities of the two types of glycosyl donors. Sequential one-pot dehydrative glycosylation, including in situ preparation of glycosyl donors followed by generation of two glycosyl bonds, provided three types of trisaccharide.