Expanding cyclitol structural diversity by biocatalysis and metalocatalysis. A click chemistry approach.

The palladium catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of phenyltrifluoroborate with a chemoenzymatically derived bromoazidoconduritol, combined with 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, with a variety of alkynes is described. Fourteen new compounds were synthesized in moderate to good yields. The click chemistry reaction can be effected by using sodium ascorbate and CuSO(4) · 5H(2)O as catalyst in toluene-H(2)O at room temperature.