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Recent Advances in Organocatalytic Glycosylations
Author(s) -
Williams Ryan,
Galan M. Carmen
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
european journal of organic chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.825
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1099-0690
pISSN - 1434-193X
DOI - 10.1002/ejoc.201700785
Subject(s) - chemistry , organocatalysis , glycosidic bond , carbohydrate chemistry , glycosylation , stereoselectivity , combinatorial chemistry , catalysis , enantioselective synthesis , organic chemistry , biochemistry , enzyme
Carbohydrates play a pivotal role in biological systems and present an opportunity to develop potent carbohydrate‐derived therapeutics and diagnostic tools for the treatment and detection of disease. To better comprehend the biological functions of carbohydrates, access to pure and structurally defined oligosaccharides is needed. Oligosaccharides are commonly synthesized by chemical means; however, despite progress in glycosylation chemistry, the efficient and stereoselective formation of glycosidic bonds by mild, nontoxic and low‐cost methods remains a challenge. Organocatalysis is an exciting field that utilizes small organic molecules to effect chemical transformation where traditionally transition metal catalysis would be required. This microreview presents recent advances in the application of organocatalysis to carbohydrate chemistry and in particular to the stereoselective synthesis of oligosaccharides.