The acceptor dependence on the glycosylation stereoselectivity is revealed by a systematic study employing model acceptors of gradually changing nucleophilicity.

Controlling the chemical glycosylation reaction remains the major challenge in the synthesis of oligosaccharides. Though 1,2-trans glycosidic linkages can be installed using neighboring group participation, the construction of 1,2-cis linkages is difficult and has no general solution. Long-range participation (LRP) by distal acyl groups may steer the stereoselectivity, but contradictory results have been reported on the role and strength of this stereoelectronic effect. It has been exceedingly difficult to study the bridging dioxolenium ion intermediates because of their high reactivity and fleeting nature. Here we report an integrated approach, using infrared ion spectroscopy, DFT computations, and a systematic series of glycosylation reactions to probe these ions in detail. Our study reveals how distal acyl groups can play a decisive role in shaping the stereochemical outcome of a glycosylation reaction, and opens new avenues to exploit these species in the assembly of oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates to fuel biological research.

The broad application of well-defined synthetic oligosaccharides in glycobiology and glycobiotechnology is largely hampered by the lack of sufficient amounts of synthetic carbohydrate specimens. Insufficient knowledge of the glycosylation reaction mechanism thwarts the routine assembly of these materials. Glycosyl cations are key reactive intermediates in the glycosylation reaction, but their high reactivity and fleeting nature have precluded the determination of clear structure–reactivity-stereoselectivity principles for these species. We report a combined experimental and computational method that connects the stereoselectivity of oxocarbenium ions to the full ensemble of conformations these species can adopt, mapped in conformational energy landscapes (CEL), in a quantitative manner. The detailed description of stereoselective S N 1-type glycosylation reactions firmly establishes glycosyl cations as true reaction intermediates and will enable the generation of new stereoselective glycosylation methodology.

The effect of the reactivity of the glycosyl acceptor on the outcome of glycosylation reactions is reviewed.

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.

Glycosylations of 4,6-tethered glucosazide donors with a panel of model acceptors revealed the effect of acceptor nucleophilicity on the stereoselectivity of these donors. The differences in reactivity among the donors were evaluated in competitive glycosylation reactions, and their relative reactivities were found to be reflected in the stereoselectivity in glycosylations with a set of fluorinated alcohols as well as carbohydrate acceptors. We found that the 2-azido-2-deoxy moiety is more β-directing than its C-2-O-benzyl counterpart, as a consequence of increased destabilization of anomeric charge development by the electron-withdrawing azide. Additional disarming groups further decreased the α-selectivity of the studied donors, whereas substitution of the 4,6-benzylidene acetal with a 4,6-di-tert-butyl silylidene led to a slight increase in α-selectivity. The C-2-dinitropyridone group was also explored as an alternative for the nonparticipating azide group, but this protecting group significantly increased β-selectivity. All studied donors exhibited the same acceptor-dependent selectivity trend, and good α-selectivity could be obtained with the weakest acceptors and most reactive donors.

Controlling the chemical glycosylation reaction remains the major challenge in the synthesis of oligosaccharides. Though 1,2-<i>trans</i> glycosidic linkages can be installed using neighboring group participation, the construction of 1,2-<i>cis</i> linkages is difficult and has no general solution. Long-range participation (LRP) by distal acyl groups may steer the stereoselectivity, but contradictory results have been reported on the role and strength of this stereoelectronic effect. It has been exceedingly difficult to study the bridging dioxolenium ion intermediates because of their high reactivity and fleeting nature. Here we report an integrated approach, using infrared ion spectroscopy, DFT calculations and a systematic series of glycosylation reactions to probe these ions in detail. Our study reveals how distal acyl groups can play a decisive role in shaping the stereochemical outcome of a glycosylation reaction and opens new avenues to exploit these species in the assembly of oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates to fuel biological research

Thiosugars, sugars that have their endocyclic oxygen substituted for a sulfur atom, have been used as stable bioisosteres of naturally occurring glycans because the thiosugar glycosydic linkage is supposed to be stabilized toward chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis. We have performed an in-depth investigation into the stability and reactivity of furanosyl thiacarbenium ions, by assessing all four diastereoisomeric thiofuranosides experimentally and computationally. We show that all furanosyl thiacarbenium ions react in a 1,2-cis-selective manner with triethylsilane, reminiscent of their oxo counterparts. The computed conformational space occupied by the thiacarbenium ions is strikingly similar to that of the corresponding furanosyl oxycarbenium ions, indicating that the stereoelectronic substituent effects governing the stability of furanosyl oxocarbenium ions and thiacarbenium ions are very similar. While the thio-ribo-furanose appears to be less reactive than its oxo counterpart, the thio-ara-, lyxo-, and xylo-furanosides appear to be more reactive than their oxygen equivalents. These differences are accounted for using the conformational preference of the donors and the carbocation intermediates. The lower reactivity of the thio-ribo furanosides in (Lewis) acid-mediated reactions and the similarity of the thia- and oxocarbenium ions make thio-ribo-furanosides excellent stabilized analogues of the naturally occurring ribo-furanose sugars.