Sucrose acetylation

An in vitro ensymatic synthesis of sucrose was carried out ia 1944 (5). A successful chemical synthesis was performed by Lemieux and Huber (6) ia 1953 from acetylated sugar precursors. However, the economics and chemical complexities of both processes make them unlikely sources of supply. 

Trityl Ethers. Treatment of sucrose with four molar equivalents of chlorotriphenylmethyl chloride (trityl chloride) in pyridine gives, after acetylation and chromatography, 6,1, 6 -tri-O-tritylsucrose [35674-14-7] and 6,6 -di-O-tritylsucrose [35674-15-8] in 50 and 30% yield, respectively (16). Conventional acetylation of 6,1, 6 -tri-O-tritylsucrose, followed by detritylation and concomitant C-4 to C-6 acetyl migration using aqueous acetic acid, yields a pentaacetate, which on chlorination using thionyl chloride in pyridine and deacetylation produces 4,l, 6 -trichloro-4,l, 6 -trideoxygalactosucrose [56038-13-2] (sucralose), alow calorie sweetener (17). 

Acetates. Because of the significant interest in selective acetylation reactions of sucrose, the need for a convenient and unambiguous method of identification has been recognized (34,35). The position of an acetyl group in a partially acetylated sucrose derivative can be ascertained by comparison of its H-nmr acetyl methyl proton resonances after per-deuterioacetylation with those of the assigned octaacetate spectmm. The synthesis of partially acetylated sucroses has generally been achieved either by way of selectively protected derivatives such as trityl ethers and cychc acetals or by direct selective acetylation and deacetylation reactions. 

Acetylsucrose [63648-81-7] has been prepared in 40% yield by direct acetylation of sucrose using acetic anhydride in pyridine at 40° C (36). The 6-ester has subsequently been obtained in greater than 90% yield, by way of 4,6-cycHc orthoacetate. Other selective methods for the 6-acylated derivatives include the use of alkyl tin reagents such as dibutyl tin oxide (37) and of dibutyl stannolane derivatives (38). Selective acetylation of sucrose by an enzymic process has also been described. Treatment of sucrose with isopropenyl acetate in pyridine in the presence of Lipase P Amano gave, after chromatography, 6-0-acetylsucrose (33%) and 4/6-di-O-acetylsucrose (8%). The latter compound has been obtained in 47% yield by the prolonged treatment (39). 

Orthoesters. The value of cycHc orthoesters as intermediates for selective acylation of carbohydrates has been demonstrated (73). Treatment of sucrose with trimethylorthoacetate and DMF in the presence of toluene-/)-sulfonic acid followed by acid hydrolysis gave the 6-0-acetylsucrose as the major and the 4-0-acetylsucrose [63648-80-6] as the minor component. The latter compound underwent acetyl migration from C-4 to C-6 when treated with an organic base, such as / fZ-butylamine, in DMF to give sucrose 6-acetate in >90% yield (74). When the kinetic reagent 2,2-dimethoxyethene was used,... 

Trityl ethers and acetals of sucrose have generally been used as precursors for the synthesis of partially acylated derivatives of sucrose. Deacetalation of 3,4,3, 4 -tetra-0-acetyl-2,l 6,6 -di-0-(diphenylsilyl)sucrose (33) and 3,3, 4, 6 -tetra-0-acetyl-2,l 4,6-di-0-isopropylidenesucrose (35) with aqueous acetic acid for 25 min at 50° gave 3,4,3, 4 -tetra-0-acetylsucrose27 (34) and 3,3, 4, 6 -tetra-0-ace-tylsucrose32 (36), respectively. Synthesis of 2,3,4,3, 4 -penta-0-acetyl-... 

Internal-displacement reactions to give sugar anhydrides are well known, and anhydro derivatives of sucrose have been prepared by treatment of the respective sulfonates or chlorides with a base. Buchanan and coworkers described the synthesis of 3, 6 -anhydrosucrose by treating 2,3,4,6,l, 3, 4 -hepta-0-acetyI-6 -0-(p-ni-trophenylsulfonyl)sucrose with sodium ethoxide in ethanol for 2 h under reflux.18 Similar treatment of 2,3,4,l, 3, 4, 6 -hepta-0-acetyl-6-chloro-6-deoxysucrose (46) with sodium methoxide in methanol, followed by acetylation, gave crystalline 2,4,l, 3, 4, 6 -hexa-0-acetyl-3,6-anhydrosucrose (47) in 83% yield.81 The H n.m.r. spectrum of 47... 

The fragmentation pattern of 2,3,6,l, 3, 4, 6 -hepta-0-acetyl-4-0-(trideuterioacetyl)sucrose (79) and 2,3,4,6,l, 3, 6 -hepta-0-acetyl-4 -0-(trideuterioacetyl)sucrose (80) has been described.44 The mass spectrum of compound 79 contains fragment ions corresponding to the two oxycarbonium ions (81) and (82). Likewise, for 80, ions 83 and 84 were observed. For compound 79, the hexopyranosyl cat-... 

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