A novel ester type linker which upon cleavage releases the glycans as carbamate protected aminoglycosides was successfully employed in the sequential assembly of L-idose and azido glucose monosaccharide building blocks to heparan sulfate precursors.

Carbohydrate–carbohydrate interactions (CCI) are mediated by complexation of metal ions. Angyal postulated on the requirements for hydroxy group arrangement in pyranoses to account for metal‐ion complexation. These requirements are particularly well fulfilled in α‐ido‐ and α‐talopyranosides, whose ring hydroxy groups have all axial and axial‐equatorial‐axial configurations, respectively. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and gold‐nanoparticle techniques have proved to be powerful tools to investigate CCIs. Benzaldehyde‐functionalized glycans can be used for attachment to both gold nanoparticles and SPR sensor surfaces. Therefore, benzaldehyde‐equipped ido‐ and talopyranosides were synthesized by the almost forgotten Paulsen acetoxonium rearrangement. This approach provides peracetylated idose and talose in only two steps from common glucose and galactose precursors, respectively, in overall yields of up to 41 % and, therefore, avoids long and laborious procedures to obtain these rare carbohydrates. The derivatives are being used in ongoing CCI studies using SPR to test Angyal's postulate about the structural requirements for hydroxy group arrangements.

In recent years the interest in tools for investigating carbohydrate-protein (CPI) and carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions (CCI) has increased significantly. For the investigation of CPI and CCI, several techniques employing different linking methods are available. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging is a most appropriate tool for analyzing the formation of self-assembled monolayers (SAM) of carbohydrate derivatives, which can mimic the glycocalyx. In contrast to the SPR imaging methods used previously to analyze CPI and CCI, the novel approach reported herein allows a facile and rapid synthesis of linker spacers and carbohydrate derivatives and enhances the binding event by controlling the amount and orientation of ligand. For immobilization on biorepulsive amino-functionalized SPR chips by reductive amination, diverse aldehyde-functionalized glycan structures (glucose, galactose, mannose, glucosamine, cellobiose, lactose, and lactosamine) have been synthesized in several facile steps that include olefin metathesis. Effective immobilization and the first binding studies are presented for the lectin concanavalin A.

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