Facial selectivity glycals

The glycals are easily converted into the 1,2-dihalo-derivatives, which in principle can act as glycosyl donors. However, these derivatives have not found wide application in glycoside synthesis, mainly because of the low facial selectivity in the initial addition of the electrophilic species [143-145]. In an example of a successful application, 2-deoxy-2-bromo-a-D-glucopyranosyl bromide [146] has been shown to give predominantly the 2-deoxy-P-D-glucopyranosides in silver-triflate-promoted reactions with alcohols. 

Initially, the de novo synthesis of enantiomerically pure carbohydrates [110] and glycolipids [111] using transition metal complexes and chiral auxiliaries afforded only modest success. Ultimately, it was the use of enantiomerically pure aldehydes, such as the R and S enantiomers of 2-(phenylseleno)propionaldehyde, to convey facial selectivity upon the LACDAC reaction that enabled the synthesis of optically pure glycals. Syntheses of several complex monosaccharides such as the main sialic acid-type N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) and rac-3-deoxy-ma o-2-octulosonic acid (KDO) were accomplished with this technology [112, 113], The LACDAC... 

This confirmed the absence of double bond isomerization during cycloaddition and the high facial selectivity of the glycal double bond. 

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