The Application of the Trichloroacetimidate Method to the Synthesis of α-D-Gluco- and α-D-Galactopyranosides

The trichloroacetimidate method has been applied to the construction of α-d-galacto- and α-d-glucopyranosides. The readily available β-trichloroacetimidates of 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-d-galacto- and glucopyranose (1-β and 3-β, respectively) have been employed in glycosidations with several monosaccharides (either A, B, C or D) under varying experimental conditions. With the galactose derivative 1-β as a donor and each of the monosaccharides A-D as acceptors, the corresponding disaccharides 1A-1D, were obtained in high yield and with good α-stereoselectivity when employing diethyl ether as solvent and either trimethylsilyl- or tert-butyldimethylsilyl trifluoro-methane sulphonate as catalyst. Glycosidations with the glucose derivative 3-β, as donor, and with the monosaccharide acceptors A, B or D, gave the corresponding disaccharides 3A, 3B and 3D, in high yield but with somewhat lower α-diastereoselectivity than observed with the galactose derivative 1-β. The stereochemical outcome of the reactions is rationalised in terms of possible reaction mechanisms.