Comparative Analysis of Fluorine‐Directed Glycosylation Selectivity: Interrogating C2 [OH → F] Substitution in d‐­Glucose and d‐Galactose

Abstract

AbstractThe influence of C2 [OH → F] substitution on the stereochemical course of chemical glycosylation was interrogated in both D‐glucose and its C4 epimer D‐galactose. Molecular editing at C2 and configurational inversion at C4 were simultaneously investigated by variable‐temperature glycosylation studies of both systems. Extrapolation of the differences in enthalpic (ΔΔHβα‡) and entropic (ΔΔSβα‡) contributions that discriminate these closely similar systems revealed that deoxofluorination at the C2 position induces an enthalpic bias that augments β‐stereoselection. Intriguingly, the enhanced stereoselectivity of the C4 epimer D‐galactose was found to be entropic in nature. Given the prominence of these scaffolds in chemical biology, delineating the factors that underpin selectivity will be critical in developing novel glycosylation methods and in rationalizing differences with the natural systems post facto.