Synthesis of L-Hexopyranosyl Fluorides Enabled by Radical
Decarboxylative Fluorination: Assembly of a Pentasaccharide Repeating
Unit Corresponding to Extracellular Polysaccharide S-88
Abstract
L-Hexoses are key components of many biologically relevant natural
products and pharmaceuticals. As rare sugars, L-hexoses are not readily
obtained from natural sources. Access to L-hexose building blocks from
commercially available and inexpensive D-sugars is highly desirable from
the viewpoints of organic synthesis and drug discovery. As demonstrated
by the convenient preparation of L-glucosyl, L-galactosyl, and
L-mannosyl fluorides from readily available β-D-C-glucosyl,
β-D-C-mannosyl, and β-D-C-galactosyl derivatives, we describe a novel
and efficient approach to the demanding L-glycosyl fluorides. The
transformation features the installation of anomeric hydroxymethyl group
under mild conditions and head-to-tail inversion of sugar rings through
radical decarboxylative fluorination of uronic acids. The power of this
protocol is highlighted by the first assembly of a pentasaccharide
repeating unit of Pseudomonas ATCC 31554 extracellular polysaccharide
(S-88). This synthesis relies on the efficient extension of sugar chain
at the sterically hindered hydroxy group and the facile introduction of
L-mannosyl unit using L-mannosyl fluoride as glycosylating agent. The
methods developed in this work would provide new tools to the arsenal of
synthesis of L-sugar building blocks and of assembly of glycans
containing L-sugar moieties.