Preparation and ring-opening reactions of a 2,3-anhydride derived from sucrose

Selective tosylation of 6,1′,6′-tri-O-tritylsucrose afforded the 2-O-tosyl derivative and not the 3-O-tosyl derivative as previously claimed. Treatment of the 2-tosylate with base afforded mainly (40%) the 2,3-manno-epoxide together with the 3,4-altro-epoxide which arose by migration of the epoxide ring. Ring-opening of the 2,3-epoxide with a variety of nucleophilic anions took place exclusively at C-3 to give altropyranosyl derivatives, whereas reaction of the epoxide with ammonium thiocyanate afforded the 2,3-allo-episulphide. Ring-opening of the 2,3-manno-epoxide with lithium iodide in ether gave 37% of the 3-deoxy-3-iodomannopyranosyl isomer, which arose by prior rearrangement of the 2,3-epoxide to the 3,4-epoxide.