DIPHENYLMETHYLATION OF CARBOHYDRATE HYDROXYL GROUPS BY THE REACTION WITH DIAZO(DIPHENYL)METHANE

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0008-6215(00)88058-1

Diphenylmetylation of carbohydrate hydroxyl groups may be effected by the thermal reaction with diazo(diphenyl)methane in absence of catalysts.Migration of the labile ester groups of methyl 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-α-D-glucopyranoside and 3-O-benzoyl-1,2-O-isopropylidene-α-D-glucofuranose does not occur during diphenylmethylation by this procedure.The diphenylmethyl group may be readily removed by catalytic hydrogenolysis, and is sufficiently acid-stable to enable the selective hydrolysis of acetal groups.Its use as an O-4 protecting-group and as a non-participating O-2 protecting-group in α-glucoside synthesis has been demonstrated in syntheses of methyl 2,3,6-tri-O-methyl-α-D-glucopyranoside and kojibiose octa-acetate, respectively.