Observations on the possible application of glycosyl disulphides,sulphenic esters,and sulphones in the synthesis of glycosides

Partial desulphuration of tetra-O-acetyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl phenyl disulphide with a phosphine derivative gave 40% of phenyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-1-thio-α-d- glucopyranoside and a similar proportion of β-d-glucopyranosyl 1-thio-α-d-glucopyranoside octa-acetate, showing that this procedure is of limited value in α-d-thio-glucoside synthesis. Similar treatment of allyl tetra-O-acetyl-,β-d-glucopyranosyl sulphoxide caused abstraction of oxygen, rather than of sulphur, from the derived allyl glucosylsulphenate. The phenylsulphonyl group was not readily displaced from β-d-glucopyranosyl phenyl sulphone, except intramolecularly, nor could it be displaced from the tetrabenzyl ether. Elimination of benzyl alcohol from this compound afforded a new 1-(phenylsulphonyl)glycal derivative.