Stereoselective Protection-Free Modification of 3-Keto-saccharides.

Unprotected 3-keto-saccharides have become readily accessible via site-selective oxidation, but their protection-free functionalization is relatively unexplored. Here we show that protecting groups are obsolete in a variety of stereoselective modifications of our model substrate methyl α-glucopyranoside. This allows the preparation of rare sugars and the installation of click handles and reactive groups. To showcase the applicability of the methodology, maltoheptaose has been converted into a chemical probe, and the rare sugar evalose has been synthesized.