Activations anomeric thio derivatives

An acetal tethered compound can easily be prepared by treatment of equimolar amounts of a 2-propenyl ether derivative of a saccharide with a sugar hydroxyl in the presence of a catalytic amount of acid. Activation of the anomeric thio moiety of the tethered compound with N-iodosuccinimide (NIS) in dichloromethane results in the formation of the p-linked disaccharide. In this reaction, no a-linked disaccharide is usually detected. It is of interest to note that when this reaction was performed in the presence of methanol, no methyl glycosides are obtained. This experiment indicates that the glycosylation proceeds via a concerted reaction and not a free anomeric oxocarbenium ion. 

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