Synthesis of two hyaluronan trisaccharides

[formula: see text] The synthesis of two hyaluronan trisaccharides, methyl O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyluronic acid)-(1,3)-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1,4)-O-beta-D- glucopyranosiduronic acid and methyl O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-(1,4)-O-beta- D-glycopyranosyluronic acid)-(1,3)-O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranoside, are described. Construction of the target molecules was achieved though a combination of the phenyl sulfoxide and trichloroacetimidate glycosylation methodologies. This is the first report on the synthesis of the beta-methyl derivatives, which represent the smallest fragments that incorporate all the structural features of polymeric hyaluronan.