Synthesis of a library of 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-derivatives of the trimannoside methyl α-D-Man-(1 → 3)-[α-D-Man-(1 → 6)]-α-D-Man and the dimannosides methyl α-D-Man-(1 → 3)-α-D-Man and methyl α-D-Man-(1 → 6)-α-D-Man.

A library of sixteen compounds, 1-16, comprising all (mono-, di-, and tri-) 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-derivatives of the N-glycan core trimannoside α-D-Man-(1 → 3)-[α-D-Man-(1 → 6)]-D-Man, including the corresponding 2-fluoro-2-deoxy disaccharide part structures and the non-fluorinated parent compounds, have been synthesized as their α-methyl glycosides for use as tools in F NMR-based lectin-carbohydrate interaction studies. Two methyl 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-mannoside acceptors, 21 (3-OH) and 22 (6-OH), were constructed and used in combination with the corresponding non-fluorinated mannose acceptors, 24 (6-OH) and 25 (3-OH), the 2-fluoro-2-deoxy mannosyl bromide donor 18 and the non-fluorinated bromide donor 23 to efficiently afford the target di-and trisaccharides (disaccharides, 2-3 steps, 47-66% overall yield; trisaccharides, 4 steps, 25-40% overall yield).