Green, Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of O-Perbutyrylated-Alkyl-Glycosides

Chemical synthesis of carbohydrates is a challenging task. Several protection and deprotection steps of hydroxyl groups are required to ensure regioselective formation of the glycosidic bond. Usually, it is achieved through acylation, where conventional heating is combined with addition of Lewis acids as catalysts. This traditional approach has two drawbacks; it is time consuming and often catalysts are hazardous to the environment. An alternative route relies on application of microwaves and/or other Lewis acids with less or no toxicity. Such combination would reduce reaction times and offer a benign synthetic strategy to obtain peracylated compounds. The current work describes an efficient and environmentally mild synthesis of peracylated glycosides with potential application in enzymatic preparation of carbohydrates. Model compound O-perbutyrylated-phenyl-galactose was synthesized using imidazole as catalyst in the microwave-assisted process. The acylation protocol was optimized, and the target sugar was obtained at 50% yield after 1 h. In conclusion, the combination of imidazole and microwaves provides an excellent alternative to swiftly synthesize peracylated glycosides in a benign way.