The combination of bis(pyridinium)iodonium (I) tetrafluoroborate (IPy2BF4), and hydrogen fluoride pyridine (HF-py) forms an iodine monofluoride (IF) synthetic equivalent that can be used in the preparation of partially unprotected glycosyl fluorides from partially unprotected n-pentenyl glycosides and thioglycosides, thus avoiding the need for the protection/deprotection steps normally required in that transformation.