catena-Poly[[tetra-μ-formato-κ(8) O:O'-dicopper(II)]-μ-hexa-methyl-ene-tetra-mine-κ(2) N (1):N (5)].

In the title polymeric compound, [Cu2(HCO2)4(C6H12N4)] n , the Cu(II) atom is five-coordinated in a square-pyramidal geometry that is defined by four O atoms from four formate ligands and one N atom from a hexa-methyl-ene-tetra-mine ligand. The two Cu(II) atoms are separated by 2.6850 (7) Å, and together with the four formate ligands they form a paddle-wheel unit.

Facile synthesis of de-O-sulfated salacinols: revision of the structure of neosalacinol, a potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitor.

Facile synthesis of de-O-sulfated salacinols (3) was developed by employing the coupling reaction of an epoxide, 1,2-anhydro-3,4-di-O-benzyl-D-erythritol (9) with 2,3,5-tri-O-benzyl-1,4-dideoxy-1,4-epithio-D-arabinitol (10) as the key reaction. The reported structure of a potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitor named neosalacinol (8), isolated recently from Ayurvedic medicine Salacia oblonga, was proved incorrect, and revised to be de-O-sulfated salacinol formate (3c) by comparison of the spectroscopic properties with those of the authentic specimen synthesized. Discrepancies and confusion in the literature concerning the NMR spectroscopic properties of salacinol (1) have also been clarified.