Synthesis of urea-tethered disaccharides in water.

A new method for the synthesis of urea-linked disaccharides in aqueous media has been developed. The key feature of our approach is two strained Steyermark-type gluco- and galactopyranosyl oxazolidinones. Each oxazolidinone is attached to a pyranose ring in a di-equatorial trans-annulation framework.

Synthesis of urea-tethered neoglycoconjugates and pseudooligosaccharides in water.

A novel approach to the synthesis of urea glycosides in aqueous media has been explored. Steyermark's glucopyranosyl oxazolidinone was found to be a good synthon for anchoring glucosyl moieties onto amines and thiols. The present method was successfully applied to establish a new route for the synthesis of urea-tethered neoglycoconjugates and pseudooligosaccharides in water.

Synthesis of (+)-conagenin.

An efficient total synthesis of (+)-conagenin was achieved. The right fragment of conagenin, alpha-methylserine containing a quaternary stereocenter attached to nitrogen, was synthesized using allyl cyanate-to-isocyanate rearrangement. The left fragment, 2,4-dihydroxy-3-methylpentanoic acid, has three contiguous stereogenic centers, which was efficiently constructed by enantioselective monoreduction of 2-alkyl-1,3-diketones reported by Cossy, and chelation-controlled stereoselective reduction of beta-hydroxy ketone.