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Characterization of elusive rhamnosyl dioxanium ions and their application in complex oligosaccharide synthesis

  • Peter H. Moons
  • , Floor ter Braak
  • , Frank F. J. de Kleijne
  • , Bart Bijleveld
  • , Sybren J. R. Corver
  • , Kas J. Houthuijs
  • , Hero R. Almizori
  • , Giel Berden
  • , Jonathan Martens
  • , Jos Oomens
  • , Paul B. White*
  • , Thomas J. Boltje
  • *Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Attaining complete anomeric control is still one of the biggest challenges in carbohydrate chemistry. Glycosyl cations such as oxocarbenium and dioxanium ions are key intermediates of glycosylation reactions. Characterizing these highly-reactive intermediates and understanding their glycosylation mechanisms are essential to the stereoselective synthesis of complex carbohydrates. Although C-2 acyl neighbouring-group participation has been well-studied, the reactive intermediates in more remote participation remain elusive and are challenging to study. Herein, we report a workflow that is utilized to characterize rhamnosyl 1,3-bridged dioxanium ions derived from C-3 p-anisoyl esterified donors. First, we use a combination of quantum-chemical calculations and infrared ion spectroscopy to determine the structure of the cationic glycosylation intermediate in the gas-phase. In addition, we establish the structure and exchange kinetics of highly-reactive, low-abundance species in the solution-phase using chemical exchange saturation transfer, exchange spectroscopy, correlation spectroscopy, heteronuclear single-quantum correlation, and heteronuclear multiple-bond correlation nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Finally, we apply C-3 acyl neighbouring-group participation to the synthesis of complex bacterial oligosaccharides. This combined approach of finding answers to fundamental physical-chemical questions and their application in organic synthesis provides a robust basis for elucidating highly-reactive intermediates in glycosylation reactions.
Original languageEnglish
Article number2257
Pages (from-to)1-13
Number of pages13
JournalNature Communications
Volume15
Early online date13 Mar 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024
Externally publishedYes

Funding

This work was supported by a VIDI grant (192.070) awarded to T.J.B. We gratefully acknowledge the Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO) for the support of the FELIX Laboratory through the research program “National Roadmap Grootschalige Wetenschappelijke Infastructuur” 184.034.022. This project received funding from NWO Rekentijd for the computational resources (2021.055). We kindly thank Pepijn Geutjes, dr. Tom Bloemberg, and Luuk van Summeren from the Faculty of Science at the Radboud University Nijmegen for making their Bruker 300 MHz NMR spectrometer available to conduct this research on. This work was supported by a VIDI grant (192.070) awarded to T.J.B. We gratefully acknowledge the Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO) for the support of the FELIX Laboratory through the research program “National Roadmap Grootschalige Wetenschappelijke Infastructuur” 184.034.022. This project received funding from NWO Rekentijd for the computational resources (2021.055). We kindly thank Pepijn Geutjes, dr. Tom Bloemberg, and Luuk van Summeren from the Faculty of Science at the Radboud University Nijmegen for making their Bruker 300 MHz NMR spectrometer available to conduct this research on.

FundersFunder number
Faculty of Science at the Radboud University Nijmegen
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek184.034.022, 2021.055
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek

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