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Angewandte
Communications
Glycosides
Interrupted Pummerer Reaction in Latent-Active Glycosylation:
Glycosyl Donors with a Recyclable and Regenerative Leaving Group
Penghua Shu, Xiong Xiao, Yueqi Zhao, Yang Xu, Wang Yao, Jinyi Tao, Hao Wang,
Guangmin Yao, Zimin Lu, Jing Zeng, and Qian Wan*
Abstract: Latent O-glycosides, 2-(2-propylthiol)benzyl (PTB)
glycosides, were converted into the corresponding active
glycosyl donors, 2-(2-propylsulfinyl)benzyl (PSB) glycosides,
by a simple and efficient oxidation. Treatment of the PSB
donor and various acceptors with triflic anhydride provided
the desired glycosides in good to excellent yields. The leaving
group, which was activated by an interrupted Pummerer
reaction, can be recycled (PSB-OH) and regenerated as the
precursor (PTB-OH). A natural hepatoprotective glycoside,
leonoside F, was efficiently synthesized in a convergent [3+1]
manner with this newly developed method. The present total
synthesis also led to a structural revision of this phenylethanoid
glycoside.
of the latent LGs into active LGs plays a crucial role. Current
modifications involving reduction/acetylation,[3a] reductive
debromination,[5] allyl isomerization,[3c,e] hydrogenation,[3d]
deacylation,[3f] and Sonogashira coupling[3g] usually require
toxic metal salts,[3a] stoichiometric amounts of Zn powder,[3a,5]
transition/rare-earth metals (Ir, Sm, Pd),[3c–e,g,5] basic amide
hydrolysis,[3f] or high reaction temperatures.[3a,5] Such require-
ments present a challenge to the practical utility of the
methodology. Glycosyl sulfoxide donors and related sulfonate
promoters (diphenyl sulfoxide, sulfonamide and thiolsulinate
etc.) are well-studied and the literature is replete with
examples of their synthesis and applications.[6] To our surprise,
although significant contributions (Kahne glycosylation,[7a]
Crich-type b-selective mannosylation,[7b] Gin dehydrative
glycosylation,[7c] and Gin oxidative glycosylation[7d] etc.)
have been made in this field, the simple transformation of
sulfides into sulfoxides and utilization in latent-active
approach has not been explored, as there are only a few
applications in the literature.[7e–f] We became interested in
using sulfoxides to remotely activate the glycosyl leaving
group, particularly through the Pummerer and interrupted
Pummerer reactions. In these two reactions, the thionium ion
or sulfonium ion resulting from activation of the sulfoxide can
react with different nucleophiles and has found great utility in
organic synthesis (Scheme 1).[8] In this premise, we now report
C
arbohydrates, essential molecules of life, are involved in
various important biological processes and functions.[1] It is
well-known that traditional oligosaccharide synthesis is
a laborious process involving multistep operations.[2] To
streamline the oligosaccharide assembly process, a latent-
active strategy arising from the studies of p-acetamidophenyl
thioglycosides and p-nitrophenyl thioglycosides was intro-
duced by Roy et al.[3a] in 1992. Since then, this concept has
been further investigated by the groups of Fraser-Reid,[3b]
Boons,[3c] Kim,[3d] Wang,[3e] Demchenko,[3f] and Yu.[3g] In this
strategy,[4,2b] an active leaving group (LG) can be selectively
stimulated over the latent LG in the presence of
a suitable promotor. Subsequently, through a simple
modification, the latent LG of the resulting glycoside
can be converted into a similar but active LG. By
taking advantage of this latent-active concept, the
manipulation of anomeric leaving groups and tedious
protection and deprotection procedures can be mini-
mized, and is highly beneficial for complex target
synthesis.[2]
In most of the reported latent-active methods,
simple, efficient, and chemoselective transformation Scheme 1. The standard Pummerer reaction and interrupted Pummerer reaction.
a novel active glycosyl donor, 2-(2-propylsulfinyl)benzyl
(PSB) glycoside, which can be prepared by a selective
oxidation of the corresponding latent 2-(2-propylthiol)benzyl
(PTB) glycoside under mild reaction conditions.
[*] P. Shu, X. Xiao, Y. Zhao, Y. Xu, W. Yao, J. Tao, H. Wang,
Prof. Dr. G. Yao, Prof. Dr. Z. Lu, Prof. Dr. J. Zeng, Prof. Dr. Q. Wan
Hubei Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry and Resource
Evaluation, School of Pharmacy
Huazhong University of Science and Technology
13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030 (China)
E-mail: wanqian@hust.edu.cn
O-alkyl glycosides are ideal candidates for the prepara-
À
tion of latent glycosides because of the rather stable C O s-
bonds. Despite the several advantages of O-alkyl glycosides,
such as easy preparation and convenient manipulation of
protecting groups, they are not commonly used as glycosyl
donors.[9] The groups of Fraser-Reid,[10a] Inanaga,[10b] Davis,[10c]
Kim,[3d] and Hotha[10d] have succeeded in using O-alkyl groups
as leaving groups. More recently, based on the success of the
Prof. Dr. Q. Wan
Institute of Brain Research
Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China)
Supporting information and ORCID(s) from the author(s) for this
14432
ꢀ 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2015, 54, 14432 –14436