Advances in synthetic carbohydrate
chemistry have dramatically
improved access to common glycans. However, many novel methods still
fail to adequately address challenges associated with chemical glycosylation
and glycan synthesis. Since a challenge of glycosylation has remained,
scientists have been frequently returning to the traditional glycosyl
donors. This review is dedicated to glycosyl halides that have played
crucial roles in shaping the field of glycosciences and continue to
pave the way toward our understanding of chemical glycosylation.