Stereoselective chlorination of methyl β-lactoside with mesyl chloride in N,N-dimethylformamide

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0008-6215(00)83129-8

Treatment of methyl β-lactoside with mesyl chloride in N,N-dimethylformamide under a variety of conditions gave complex mixtures of chlorinated products, of which nine were isolated and characterised. Chlorination at a secondary position always occurred with inversion of configuration. When the reaction was conducted at 94° for 9 days, a mixture of the 3,3′,4′,6,6′-pentachloride, the 3,3′,6,6′- and 3,4′,6,6′-tetrachlorides, and the 3,6,6′- and 3′,6,6′-trichlorides was obtained together with the 3′,4′-epoxide of the 6,6′-dichloride, which was an artefact. Under milder conditions, the 6,6′-dichloride was encountered, together with methyl 6-chloro-6-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranoside which had arisen by hydrolysis of the interglycosidic bond. It is particularly noteworthy that displacement occurred at C-3′ of the lactoside, in spite of the vic-axial group at C-4′ which should hinder nucleophilic displacement at C-3′. The cause of this anomaly is discussed.