Simultaneous generation of planar, central and axial chiralities on and around a ferrocene backbone via a d-phenylglycinol-induced intramolecular iminium cyclization was disclosed, which is rare and differs from known methods. A series of chiral spiro­[cyclopentadienyl-1,2,3,3a-tetrahydropentalenyliron­(II)-1,2′-pyrrolidine] derivatives were prepared acording to the new method, and their structures were characterized unambiguously. The axial chirality caused by the ferrocene backbone and the rigid spiral structure was verified by NOESY and variable-temperature NMR experiments and single-crystal XRD analyses. Mechanism for the stereoselective iminium cyclization reaction was suggested, which was influenced by steric hindrance and hydrogen bonding.

A streamlined iterative assembly of thio‐oligosaccharides was developed by aqueous glycosylation. Facile syntheses of various deoxythio sugars with the sulfur on different positions from commercially available starting materials were described. These syntheses featured efficient chemical methods including our recently reported BTM‐catalyzed site‐selective acylation. The resulting deoxythio sugars could then be used for the Ca(OH)2‐promoted protecting group‐free S‐glycosylation in water at room temperature. The aqueous glycosylation reaction proceeded smoothly to afford the corresponding 1,2‐trans S‐glycosides in good yields with high chemo‐ and stereoselectivity. An appropriate choice of protecting groups for the thiol in the glycosyl donor was necessary for the development of iterative synthesis of thio‐oligosaccharides. The aqueous glycosylation was then applied to the synthesis of a trimannoside moiety of N‐linked glycans core region.

Chemical synthesis of glycoconjugates is essential for studying the biological functions of carbohydrates. We herein report an efficient approach for the stereoselective synthesis of challenging α‐linked glycoconjugates via a Rh(II)/chiral phosphoric acid (CPA)‐cocatalyzed dynamic kinetic anomeric O‐alkylation of sugar‐derived lactols via carbenoid insertion to the anomeric OH bond. Notably, we observed excellent anomeric selectivity, excellent diastereoselectivity, broad substrate scope, and high efficiency for this glycosylation reaction by exploring various parameters of the cocatalytic system. DFT calculations suggested that the anomeric selectivity was mainly determined by steric interactions between the C2‐carbon of the carbohydrate and the phenyl group of the metal carbenoid, while π/π interactions with the C2‐OBn substituent on the carbohydrate substrate play a significant role for diastereoselectivity at the newly generated stereogenic center.

Chemical synthesis of glycoconjugates is essential for studying the biological functions of carbohydrates. We herein report an efficient approach for the stereoselective synthesis of challenging α‐linked glycoconjugates via a Rh(II)/chiral phosphoric acid (CPA)‐cocatalyzed dynamic kinetic anomeric O‐alkylation of sugar‐derived lactols via carbenoid insertion to the anomeric OH bond. Notably, we observed excellent anomeric selectivity, excellent diastereoselectivity, broad substrate scope, and high efficiency for this glycosylation reaction by exploring various parameters of the cocatalytic system. DFT calculations suggested that the anomeric selectivity was mainly determined by steric interactions between the C2‐carbon of the carbohydrate and the phenyl group of the metal carbenoid, while π/π interactions with the C2‐OBn substituent on the carbohydrate substrate play a significant role for diastereoselectivity at the newly generated stereogenic center.