Direct Umpolung of Glycals and Related 2,3‐Unsaturated N‐Acetylneuraminic Acid Derivatives Using Samarium Diiodide

Abstract

The umpolung of glycals with samarium diiodide offers a simple route to novel carbohydrate‐derived nucleophilic reagents in a single step using a readily available reductant. The corresponding allyl samarium reagent that arises from the hexose series reacts with ketones at the C3 position with high stereoselectivity; carbon–carbon bond formation takes place only anti to the substituent at the C4 position of the dihydropyran ring. For the sialic acid series, the completely regio‐ and stereoselective coupling process of the samarium reagent occurs at the anomeric carbon atom and provides a new approach to the α‐C‐glycosides of N‐acetyl neuraminic acid.