Gold(III) Chloride and Phenylacetylene: A Catalyst System for the Ferrier Rearrangement, and O-Glycosylation of 1-O-Acetyl Sugars as Glycosyl Donors

Abstract

We have developed a new catalyst system comprising AuCl3 and phenylacetylene that promotes the Ferrier rearrangement of glycals and 2-acetoxymethylglycals with different nucleophiles, and also the O-glycosylation of 1-O-acetyl sugars to obtain a variety of useful glycosides at room temperature through relay catalysis. Good anomeric selectivity was observed for the Ferrier rearrangements, whereas the O-glycosylation of 1-O-acetyl sugars gave mixtures of diastereomers with moderate to excellent selectivity.