Cage-Shaped Borate Catalysts Bearing Precisely Controlled Lewis Acidity and Their Application in Glycosylations

J Org Chem. 2024 Nov 1;89(21):15630-15635. doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.4c01706. Epub 2024 Oct 22.

Abstract

Cage-shaped borates, whose Lewis acidity can be precisely modulated by the structural attributes of the triphenolic ligands, were employed as catalysts for glycosylation. Each cage-shaped borate displayed distinctive reactivity; thus, screening of the borate catalysts enabled controllable activation of glycosyl fluorides under mild conditions. Practical glycosylation was achieved by fine-tuning the Lewis acidity tailored to the substrate reactivity, thereby providing a versatile method applicable to the synthesis of complex glycans.