Preactivation: An Alternative Strategy in Stereoselective Glycosylation and Oligosaccharide Synthesis

The multifaceted biological importance of carbohydrates has made them very popular targets in modern synthetic chemistry. Great progress has been made in stereoselective glycosylation methods and the construction of complex oligosaccharides. This Focus Review highlights the versatile applications of preactivation strategies in stereoselective glycosylation and oligosaccharide synthesis. Recent advances in synthetic methods, such as 4,6-O-benzylidene-acetal-directed β-mannosylation, the 1,2-cis-glycosylation mediated by a chiral auxiliary, the use of an oxazolidinone or carbonate protecting group, and glycosylation with participating additives, are described. Various examples of sequential glycosylation based on preactivation protocols for efficient oligosaccharide assembly are also summarized.