Glycals as Chiral Synthons in Organic Synthesis of Privileged Molecular Scaffolds

Chirality is a vital characteristic of molecules and crucial for biological functioning. Glycals are unsaturated chiral sugars that contain an enolic double bond within the ring structure and they introduce the chirality in the molecular scaffolds. Since their discovery and synthesis by Fischer and Zach in 1913, they have been used as a flexible chiral synthon for synthesising natural products and biologically significant molecules. An important area of study in organic synthesis involves functionalizing glycals, with particular emphasis on creating novel molecular scaffolds with a common backbone using various topologies. This review discusses recent advancements in synthesizing chiral molecules, emphasizing the innovative use of glycals as chiral synthons, and covers literature from 2020 to the present.