Mannosazide methyl uronate donors. Glycosylating properties and use in the construction of β-ManNAcA-containing oligosaccharides.

Mannosazide methyl uronate donors equipped with a variety of anomeric leaving groups (β- and α-S-phenyl, β- and α-N-phenyltrifluoroacetimidates, hydroxyl, β-sulfoxide, and (R(s))- and (S(s))-α-sulfoxides) were subjected to activating conditions, and the results were monitored by (1)H NMR. While the S-phenyl and imidate donors all gave a conformational mixture of anomeric α-triflates, the hemiacetal and β- and α-sulfoxides produced an oxosulfonium triflate and β- and α-sulfonium bistriflates, respectively. The β-S-phenyl mannosazide methyl uronate performed best in both activation experiments and glycosylation studies and provided the 1,2-cis mannosidic linkage with excellent selectivity. Consequently, an α-Glc-(1→4)-β-ManN(3)A-SPh disaccharide, constructed by the stereoselective glycosylation of a 6-O-Fmoc-protected glucoside and β-S-phenyl mannosazide methyl uronate, was used as the repetitive donor building block in the synthesis of tri-, penta-, and heptasaccharide fragments corresponding to the Micrococcus luteus teichuronic acid.