Radical Dehydroxymethylative Fluorination of Carbohydrates and Divergent Transformations of the Resulting Reverse Glycosyl Fluorides

Abstract A mild and convenient method for the synthesis of reverse glycosyl fluorides (RGFs) has been developed that is based on the silver‐promoted radical dehydroxymethylative fluorination of carbohydrates. A salient feature of the reaction is that furanoid and pyranoid carbohydrates furnish structurally diverse RGFs bearing a wide variety of functional groups in good to excellent yields. Intramolecular hydrogen atom transfer experiments revealed that the reaction involves an underexploited radical fluorination that proceeds via β‐fragmentation of sugar‐derived primary alkoxyl radicals. Structurally divergent RGFs were obtained by catalytic C−F bond activation, and our method thus offers a concise and efficient strategy for the synthesis of reverse glycosides by late‐stage diversification of RGFs. The potential of this method is showcased by the preparation and diversification of sotagliflozin, leading to the discovery of a promising SGLT2 inhibitor candidate.