Zinc-N-Base Mediated Synthesis of Pyranoid Glycals Mechanistic Studies

Abstract

Reactions of acetobromoglucose 1 or acetylated 1-bromo-D-galactopyranosyl cyanide 3 with zinc dust in the presence of a N-base (1-methylimidazole, 4-methylpyridine, or triethylamine, pyridine, respectively) in ethyl acetate or benzene were efficiently inhibited by 10–30 mol % of 1,4-dinitrobenzene, elemental sulfur, or carbon tetrachloride. Presence of glycosyl radicals in these reactions was also shown by trapping them with tert-dodecyl mercaptan or methyl acrylate. Based on these observations and the high yielding formation of glycal derivatives 2 and 4 of high purity a free radical chain mechanism is proposed for the transformations.