Crystal Structure and Solid‐State 13C NMR of Methyl α‐d‐Mannofuranoside †

Abstract

The crystal structure of methyl α‐d‐mannofuranoside was determined by X‐ray crystallography. The C‐1–C‐2, C‐2–C‐3, C‐3–C‐4, C‐4–O and O‐4–C‐1 distances within the furanoside ring are 1.513(2), 1.523(2), 1.516(2), 1.445(2) and 1.422(2) Å, respectively. The hydrogen bonding consists of O–H–O interactions which include the anomeric oxygen but exclude the ring oxygen atom. The two hydroxyls OH‐6 and OH‐2 are H‐bond acceptors and donors with H···O distances of 1.92–1.93 Å, whereas the OH‐3 and OH‐5 are only H‐bond donor [H···O distance of 2.04(2) Å]. Additionally, OH‐6 participates in a weak hydrogen bond to the anomeric oxygen [H···O distance of 2.19(3) Å]. The crystalline methyl α‐d‐mannofuranoside adopts an 3 E ring conformation. The analysis of 13C CPMAS NMR chemical shifts for solid methyl α‐d‐mannofuranoside confirm such H‐bonding pattern. †This paper is dedicated to Professor Gérard Descotes on the occasion of his 70th birthday.