# Hypervalent chalcogenonium organocatalysis for the direct stereoselective synthesis of deoxyglycosides from hemiacetals

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new method using chalcogenonium salts to efficiently and selectively create deoxyglycosides from carbohydrates.

## Contribution

A new class of chalcogenonium catalysts is introduced for direct, stereoselective deoxyglycoside synthesis.

## Key findings

- 1,2-oxaselenonium salts enable high-yielding and stereoselective deoxyglycoside synthesis.
- The reaction mechanism involves a cooperative interaction between the catalyst, donor, and nucleophile.
- DFT calculations reveal a transition state with oxocarbenium ion character similar to enzymatic mechanisms.

## Abstract

Lewis acids are frequently used as catalysts in glycosylation reactions, however these reagents often suffer from significant limitations such as sensitivity to moisture and poor stereocontrol. Chalcogenonium catalysts have recently emerged as a new class of catalysts with improved Lewis acidity and stability. Here we describe a proof of concept study of the use of 1,2-oxaselenonium salts as effective organocatalysts for the direct and stereoselective dehydrative glycosylation with 1-hydroxy carbohydrates to give deoxyglycosides. The reaction is high yielding, stereoselective and amenable to a wide range of nucleophiles, including primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols and thiols. Experimental and computational mechanistic investigations suggest that the reaction proceeds through a cooperative mechanism involving the hemiacetal donor, acceptor, and catalyst. In this process, the Lewis acidic selenonium catalyst activates the donor, while the incoming alcohol nucleophile engages in a stabilizing hydrogen-bond interaction with the chalcogenonium triflate counterion. DFT calculations suggest a loose SN2-like transition state with a high degree of oxocarbenium ion character, reminiscent of the mechanism observed for glycosyl-modifying enzymes. The methodology is exemplified on the stereoselective synthesis of a tetrasaccharide in 52% yield.

The direct hemiacetal activation using chalcogenonium salts for the α-selective synthesis of deoxyglycosides is demonstrated. The reaction mechanism is studied using a combination of kinetic studies, computational and experimental techniques.