4,6-Thioanhydro-hexopyranosides,synthesis and chemical behaviour of methyl 2-0-p-toluenesulfonyl-4,6-thioanhydro-α-d-gulopyranoside

Methyl 4-0-benzoyl-6-bromo-6-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranoside ($\text{1}$, Figure 1) was converted, via the corresponding ditosylate $\text{2}$, into methyl 2,3-di-0-p-toluenesulfonyl-4-0-benzoyl-6-S-acetyl-6-thio-α-D-glucopyranoside ($\text{3}$) by a selective nucleophilic displacement of 6-bromo-group with thioacetate. Unexpectedly, on treating the compound $\text{3}$ with an excess of sodium methoxide in benzene-methanol (1:1) at room temperature, methyl 2-0-p-toluenesulfonyl-4,6-thioanhydro-α-D-gulopyranoside ($\text{4}$) was obtained in a yield of 84%. In order to determine the structure of the relatively unstable oily product $\text{4}$, some stable crystalline derivatives ($\text{5}$, $\text{6}$ and $\text{7}$) were prepared. Detailed analysis of the ¹H-NMR-spectra (200 MHz) of $\text{6}$ and $\text{7}$ gave the conclusive evidence for the structure of $\text{4}$ A self-imposing mechanism of the clean and smooth transformation of $\text{3}$ to $\text{4}$ is proposed, involving: a) formation of $\text{9}$ (Figure 2) as a crucial intermediate and b) a highly regioselective epoxide opening in $\text{9}$ (at C-4) by an intramolecular nucleophilic attack of the mercaptide anion from C-6.