F¸r Oskar Jeger mit herzlichen Gl¸ckw¸nschen zum 85. GeburtstagThe ethynylated gluco-azide 11 was prepared from the dianhydrogalactose 7 by ethynylation, transformation into the dianhydromannose 10, and opening of the oxirane ring by azide (Scheme 1). The retentive alkynylating ring opening of 11 and of the corresponding amine 12 failed. (2-Acetamidoglucopyranosyl)acetylenes were, therefore, prepared from the corresponding mannopyranosylacetylenes. Retentive alkynylating ring opening of the partially protected b-d-mannopyranose 15, possessing a C(3)ÀOH group, gave a 85 : 15 mixture of 16 and the (E)-enyne 17. The alkyne 16 was deprotected to the tetrol 18 that was selectively protected and transformed into the C(2)ÀO triflate 20. Treatment with NaN 3 in DMF afforded a 85 : 15 mixture of the b-dgluco configured azide 21 and the elimination product 22. Similarly, the a-d-mannopyranosylacetylene 23 was transformed into the azide 26. Retentive alkynylating ring opening of the ethynylated anhydromannose 28 gave the expected b-d-mannopyranosyl 1,4-dialkyne 29 as the main product besides the diol 28, the triol 31, and the (E)-enyne 30 (Scheme 2). This enyne was also obtained from 31 by a stereoselective carboalumination promoted by the cis (axial) HOÀC(2) group. Deprotection of the dialkynylated mannoside 31 led to 32, whereas selective silylation, triflation, and azidation gave a 3 : 7 mixture of the 1-ethynylglucal 35 and the b-d-gluco azide 36, which was transformed into the diethynylated b-d-GlcNAc analogue 38. Similarly, the diethynylated a-dmannopyranoside 39 was transformed into the disilylated a-d-GlcNAc analogue 41, and further into the diol 42 and the monosilyl ether 43 (Scheme 5). Eglinton coupling of 41 gave the symmetric buta-1,3-diyne 44, which did not undergo any further Eglinton coupling, even under forcing conditions. However, Eglinton coupling of the monosilyl ether 43 and subsequent desilylation gave the C 1 -symmetric cyclotrimer 45 in moderate yields.