Isolation, Synthesis and Derivatization of Xylodextrins

A series of xylodextrins has been produced by enzymatic or hydrothermal degradation of industrial xylans. For further synthetic use, the oligomers were converted into per‐ O ‐acetylated xylooligomers which were separated by silica gel chromatography to furnish preparative amounts of xylobiose up to xylopentaose. In a model reaction, selective anomeric deacetylation and treatment with trichloroacetonitrile furnished a xylobiosyl donor, which was converted into the β‐methyl glycoside. In addition, methyl β‐ D ‐xylopyranoside was transformed into a suitable glycosyl acceptor via tosylation followed by a double displacement reaction at O‐4, allowing for further chain elongation and modification at the reducing xylopyranosyl unit.