Alkylation of partially protected xylofuranoses and tetritols with (2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,7-tridecafluoroheptyl)-oxirane and the stability of protecting acetal groups towards Lewis acid-type catalyst

Article abstract of DOI:10.1135/cccc20011665

1,2-O-Isopropylidene-3-O-methyl-α-D-xylofuranose (2), 1,2-O-isopropylidene-α-D-xylofuranose (3), 2,4-O-ethylidene-D-erythritol (4) and 1,3-O-ethylidene-D-threitol (5) were alkylated with racemic (2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,7-tridecafluoroheptyl)oxirane (1) using boron trifluoride diethyl etherate as a catalyst. The desired mono- or disubstituted polyfluoroalkyl derivatives 6-11 were isolated only in low to medium yields. The fluoroalkylation was accompanied with disproportional distributions of the protecting acetal/ketal groups and polymerization of saccharides. Therefore the stability of 3, 4, 5, 5-O-acetyl-1,2-O-isopropylidene-α-D-xylofuranose (14) and 1,2-O-isopropylidene-α-D-glucofuranose (15) in the presence of a catalytic amount of boron trifluoride diethyl etherate was investigated in various solvents. A mechanism explaining the effect of the catalyst has been proposed.