IChO 2016 · Theory problem 8

Sugar derivatives from D-glucose

An exotic, but biologically relevant sugar analogue can be prepared from D-glucose in the following manner. Heating a mixture of D-glucose and acetone with a few drops of concentrated acid results in the formation of a diacetonide A. Then A can be hydrolyzed selectively to B.

Figure 1

8.1.1 Which of the following sentences is true? (Tick the relevant boxes.)

  • ☐ A is an α isomer.
  • ☐ A is neither α nor β.
  • ☐ A is a β isomer.
  • ☐ A is a mixture of α and β isomers.

Give your chosen answers to the questions on the answer sheet.

8.1.2 Which of the following sentences is true?

  • ☐ We can get product A only if we use α-D-glucose as starting material.
  • ☐ We can get product A only if we use β-D-glucose as starting material.
  • ☐ We can get product A either from α- or from β-D glucose as starting material.

8.1.3 Which one of these reagents can be utilized as X for the selective hydrolysis of A?

  • ☐ 50% acetic acid
  • ☐ concentrated \(\ce{H2SO4}\)
  • ☐ \(\ce{HCl}\) in water (\(6\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\))
  • ☐ \(\ce{NaOH}\) aqueous solution (\(1\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\))
  • ☐ \(\ce{HCl}\) in acetic acid (\(6\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\))

8.1.4 Which is the stereochemically correct structure for compound B?

Figure 2

B is treated with sodium metaperiodate to get C. C is then reacted with an aqueous solution of \(\ce{NaCN}\), then heated with 10% \(\ce{NaOH}\) solution to get a mixture of two diastereomeric compounds D₁ and D₂. These compounds can be separated by column chromatography.

Figure 3

Reaction of D₁ with \(\ce{LiAlH4}\) followed by heating with 1M \(\ce{HCl}\) solution gives sugar F that is the hydrolysis product of the most abundant natural polysaccharide.

Figure 4

8.2.1 Draw the structures of C, D₁, D₂, E and F including stereochemical information. Show F as the more stable 6-membered ring containing isomer using the ring skeleton. Indicate with a wavy line if absolute chirality around a carbon is not known.

8.2.2 The reaction sequence from glucose to F does not seem to be useful. In some cases, however, this is the most economical way to produce F. In which case?

  • ☐ \(\ce{^{13}C}\) labelling at carbon 6 of F
  • ☐ \(\ce{^{13}C}\) labelling at carbon 5 of F
  • ☐ \(\ce{^{13}C}\) labelling at carbon 1 of F
  • ☐ \(\ce{^{15}O}\) labelling at glycosidic OH of F
  • ☐ synthesis of an uncommon isomer of F

Neutralization of D₂ with \(\ce{HCl}\) followed by heating in toluene results in dehydration and formation of G, which has a tricyclic structure in water-free solvents. Boiling G in \(\ce{HCl}\) solution (\(c = 1\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\)) gives H (\(\ce{C6H10O7}\)), which is a natural sugar derivative containing a 6 membered ring. H is a building block of heparin, an anticoagulant polysaccharide produced by our bodies.

Figure 5

8.3.1 Draw the structure of G including the stereochemistry.

Draw H as the more stable 6-membered ring containing isomer using the ring skeleton. Indicate with a wavy line if absolute chirality around a carbon is not known.

8.3.2 How are the rings of G fused together?

  • ☐ both junctions cis,
  • ☐ one cis and one trans junction,
  • ☐ both junctions trans.

8.3.3 Which of the following is true for H? (You can choose more than one option.)

  • ☐ H is a reducing sugar (reacts with Fehling’s reagent)
  • ☐ H is an aldaric acid (dicarboxylic derivative of an aldose)
  • ☐ H is an aldonic acid (α-carboxyl derivative of an aldose)
  • ☐ H is a uronic acid (ω-carboxyl derivative of an aldose)
  • ☐ H is a ketose
  • ☐ H is a lactone
  • ☐ H is a D sugar
  • ☐ H is achiral
  • ☐ H is a meso compound

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 8.1.1: A is an α isomer. It is 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-α-D-glucofuranose.
    SMILES: CC1(C)O[C@H]2O[C@H]([C@H]3COC(C)(C)O3)[C@H](O)[C@H]2O1

  • 8.1.2: Either α-D-glucose or β-D-glucose can be used. Their pyranose structures are:

  • α-D-glucopyranose: OC[C@H]1O[C@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@@H]1O
  • β-D-glucopyranose: OC[C@H]1O[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@@H]1O

  • 8.1.3: 50% aqueous acetic acid, CC(=O)O.

  • 8.1.4: The second, middle structure, with the C5 hydroxyl drawn to the left. B is 1,2-O-isopropylidene-α-D-glucofuranose.
    SMILES: CC1(C)O[C@H]2O[C@H]([C@H](O)CO)[C@H](O)[C@H]2O1

  • 8.2.1:

  • C: 1,2-O-isopropylidene-α-D-xylo-pentodialdo-1,4-furanose, the protected five-carbon sugar with an aldehyde at C5.
    SMILES: CC1(C)O[C@H]2O[C@H](C=O)[C@H](O)[C@H]2O1
  • D₁: Sodium 1,2-O-isopropylidene-α-D-glucofuranuronate.
    SMILES: CC1(C)O[C@H]2O[C@H]([C@H](O)C(=O)[O-])[C@H](O)[C@H]2O1.[Na+]
  • D₂: Sodium 1,2-O-isopropylidene-β-L-idofuranuronate, the C5 epimer of D₁.
    SMILES: CC1(C)O[C@H]2O[C@H]([C@@H](O)C(=O)[O-])[C@H](O)[C@H]2O1.[Na+]
  • E: 1,2-O-isopropylidene-α-D-glucofuranose, identical to B.
    SMILES: CC1(C)O[C@H]2O[C@H]([C@H](O)CO)[C@H](O)[C@H]2O1
  • F: D-glucopyranose, with a wavy C1–OH bond because the reaction permits anomeric equilibration.
    SMILES, anomer unspecified: OC[C@H]1OC(O)[C@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@@H]1O
    Its predominant anomer is β-D-glucopyranose, whose most stable chair is \(^{4}C_{1}\).

  • 8.2.2: \(\ce{^{13}C}\) labelling at carbon 6 of F. The product is [6-\(\ce{^{13}C}\)]-D-glucose.
    Pyranose SMILES, anomer unspecified: O[13CH2][C@H]1OC(O)[C@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@@H]1O

  • 8.3.1:

  • G: 1,2-O-isopropylidene-β-L-idofuranurono-6,3-lactone.
    SMILES: CC1(C)O[C@H]2O[C@H]3[C@H](OC(=O)[C@@H]3O)[C@H]2O1
  • H: L-iduronic acid, drawn as L-idopyranuronic acid, with a wavy C1–OH bond.
    SMILES, anomer unspecified: O=C(O)[C@@H]1OC(O)[C@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@@H]1O

  • 8.3.2: Both junctions are cis.

  • 8.3.3: Select:

  • H is a reducing sugar.
  • H is a uronic acid.

Solution

Carbon numbering below follows the original glucose chain: C1 is the reducing carbon and C6 is the terminal carbon. The original C6 is subsequently removed and replaced by the carbon supplied by cyanide. The SMILES above specify molecular connectivity and configuration; chair conformations and the required drawing conventions are described below.

8.1.1 — Configuration and formation of A

The product contains a five-membered glucofuranose ring and two isopropylidene protecting groups, joining the oxygens at C1/C2 and C5/C6.

In the depicted furanose orientation, the oxygen substituents at C1 and C2 both point below the ring. The anomeric configuration is therefore α for this D-glucose derivative. The cis arrangement also permits formation of the five-membered 1,2-acetonide ring.

Acetone, CC(=O)C, reacts with two pairs of hydroxyl groups, eliminating two molecules of water, O. The balanced overall reaction is

\[ \ce{C6H12O6 + 2C3H6O <=>[H+] C12H20O6 + 2H2O}. \]

The product \(\ce{C12H20O6}\) is A.

8.1.2 — Why either starting anomer works

Acid catalysis permits ring opening and interconversion of glucose anomers and ring forms. The open-chain intermediate is D-glucose, O=C[C@H](O)[C@@H](O)[C@H](O)[C@H](O)CO.

Consequently, either starting anomer can furnish the α-glucofuranose configuration that is trapped as A. The starting anomer does not uniquely determine the protected product.

8.1.3 — Selective hydrolysis

The terminal 5,6-acetonide can be removed under sufficiently mild aqueous acidic conditions while retaining the 1,2-acetonide. The appropriate reagent is 50% aqueous acetic acid.

The balanced transformation is

\[ \ce{C12H20O6 + H2O ->[H+] C9H16O6 + C3H6O}, \]

that is, A gives B and acetone.

The stronger acidic choices are unsuitable for the intended selective hydrolysis. Acetonides are stable to aqueous base, so sodium hydroxide, [Na+].[OH-], is not the appropriate reagent.

8.1.4 — Selecting the correct drawing of B

Hydrolysis of an acetonide does not invert C5. Thus B must retain the C5 configuration of D-glucose.

In the two proposed drawings, the side-chain projection has C6 at the top and C4 at the bottom. This reverses their vertical order relative to the usual glucose Fischer projection. A \(180^\circ\) rotation of a Fischer projection preserves configuration but exchanges left and right.

Therefore, with C6 above C5, the C5 hydroxyl must be on the left. This selects the second structure.

8.2.1 — Structures of C, D₁, D₂, E and F

Formation of C. The only unprotected vicinal diol in B is the C5–C6 unit. Sodium metaperiodate, [Na+].[O-]I(=O)(=O)=O, cleaves this bond. C5 becomes an aldehyde, while the original C6 leaves as methanal, C=O.

The balanced reaction, including sodium iodate, [Na+].[O-]I(=O)=O, is

\[ \ce{C9H16O6 + NaIO4 -> C8H12O5 + CH2O + NaIO3 + H2O}. \]

Thus C retains the protected furanose framework but has an aldehyde directly attached to C4. Its formula agrees with the supplied molar mass:

\[ M(\ce{C8H12O5}) =8(12.01)+12(1.008)+5(16.00) =188.18\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}} \approx188.2\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \]

For a drawing of C, retain the furanose configuration of B and replace its C4 side chain by \(\ce{-CHO}\). C5 is now trigonal and has no configuration.

Formation of D₁ and D₂. Sodium cyanide, [Na+].[C-]#N, attacks either face of the planar C5 aldehyde, creating two configurations at C5. Alkaline hydrolysis converts the introduced nitrile group into a carboxylate, releasing ammonia, N.

For either epimer, the balanced overall transformation is

\[ \ce{C8H12O5 + NaCN + 2H2O -> C9H13NaO7 + NH3}. \]

The products are sodium carboxylates under the stated alkaline conditions. The added cyanide carbon is their C6.

The most abundant natural polysaccharide is cellulose, whose hydrolysis gives D-glucose. Hence F is D-glucose, and D₁ must be the epimer that gives the D-glucose configuration upon reduction. D₂ has the opposite configuration at C5.

The underlying configurations can be recorded by the following Fischer-projection convention: C1 at the top and C6 at the bottom.

Centre D₁ branch: D-glucose configuration D₂ branch: L-idose configuration
C2 oxygen substituent Right Right
C3 oxygen substituent Left Left
C4 oxygen substituent Right Right
C5 oxygen substituent Right Left

The C1–C4 configurations of the protected furanose remain unchanged. Because the D/L reference centre changes at C5, the retained anomeric configuration is designated α-D in D₁ and β-L in D₂.

For the protected furanose drawings, use the orientation in the problem:

  • Ring oxygen at the top, C1 at the right, and C2–C3 along the lower edge.
  • The C1 and C2 acetonide oxygens point below the ring.
  • The C3 hydroxyl and the C4 side chain point above the ring.
  • D₁ and D₂ differ only in the side-chain C5 configuration.

Reduction to E. Lithium aluminium hydride, [Li+].[AlH4-], reduces the C6 carboxylate to a primary alcohol without changing C5. Consequently, E is identical to B.

A balanced reduction half-equation for the organic anion is

\[ \ce{C9H13O7^- + 5H+ + 4e- -> C9H16O6 + H2O}. \]

This expresses the net redox balance including the protonating work-up.

Hydrolysis to F. Aqueous hydrochloric acid, [H+].[Cl-], removes the remaining acetonide:

\[ \ce{C9H16O6 + H2O ->[H+] C6H12O6 + C3H6O}. \]

The liberated sugar undergoes ring-size and anomeric equilibration.

To draw F as a six-membered ring, use the conventional glucopyranose Haworth orientation: ring oxygen at the upper right, C1 at the right, and numbering clockwise through C2–C5. Draw:

  • C2–OH down;
  • C3–OH up;
  • C4–OH down;
  • the C5 hydroxymethyl substituent up;
  • C1–OH with a wavy bond.

The anomeric configuration is not fixed by the hydrolysis. The predominant anomer, β-D-glucopyranose, adopts the \(^{4}C_{1}\) chair with all hydroxyl groups and the hydroxymethyl substituent equatorial. SMILES does not specify this chair conformation.

8.2.2 — Selective carbon-6 labelling

The carbon tracing is

\[ \begin{aligned} \text{Original glucose C6} &\longrightarrow \text{methanal},\\ \text{Cyanide carbon} &\longrightarrow \text{C6 carboxylate carbon of D₁}\\ &\longrightarrow \text{C6 hydroxymethyl carbon of F}. \end{aligned} \]

Using sodium \(\ce{^{13}C}\)-cyanide, [Na+].[13C-]#N, therefore gives [6-\(\ce{^{13}C}\)]-D-glucose.

The route replaces just one skeletal carbon with the labelled carbon supplied by cyanide, making it useful for selective C6 labelling.

8.3.1 — Structures of G and H

Neutralization and lactonization. One equivalent of hydrochloric acid converts D₂ into 1,2-O-isopropylidene-β-L-idofuranuronic acid:

CC1(C)O[C@H]2O[C@H]([C@@H](O)C(=O)O)[C@H](O)[C@H]2O1

The balanced neutralization is

\[ \ce{C9H13NaO7 + HCl -> C9H14O7 + NaCl}, \]

where sodium chloride is [Na+].[Cl-].

Heating in toluene, Cc1ccccc1, promotes intramolecular esterification between the C6 carboxyl group and the C3 hydroxyl:

\[ \ce{C9H14O7 ->[\Delta] C9H12O6 + H2O}. \]

This produces the 6,3-lactone G. Its three rings are:

  1. The original five-membered furanose ring.
  2. The five-membered 1,2-acetonide ring.
  3. A five-membered lactone containing the oxygen originally attached to C3, followed by C6, C5, C4 and C3.

For the drawing, join the C3 oxygen to the C6 carbonyl carbon, retaining all existing configurations. The C5 hydroxyl remains free. The stereochemical SMILES in the Answers fixes its orientation.

Hydrolysis to H. Aqueous acid hydrolyses both the acetonide and the lactone. The balanced overall reaction is

\[ \ce{C9H12O6 + 2H2O ->[H+] C6H10O7 + C3H6O}. \]

The resulting sugar acid has the L-idose configuration and a carboxyl group at C6: it is L-iduronic acid.

For its six-membered L-idopyranuronic acid drawing, use the same Haworth orientation as for F. Draw:

  • C2–OH down;
  • C3–OH up;
  • C4–OH down;
  • the C5 carboxyl substituent down;
  • C1–OH with a wavy bond.

The ring oxygen is the oxygen originally attached to C5. The wavy bond reflects anomeric equilibration after deprotection. This Haworth description fixes configuration without assigning a particular chair conformation.

8.3.2 — Ring junctions in G

The acetonide and furanose share the C1–C2 bond. Their two acetonide oxygen attachments are on the same face of the furanose ring, so this junction is cis.

The lactone and furanose share the C3–C4 bond. The C3 oxygen and the C4 side chain that form the lactone are also on the same face, so this junction is cis.

Therefore, both junctions are cis.

8.3.3 — Properties of H

Proposed property True? Reason
Reducing sugar Yes Its free anomeric hemiacetal can open to an aldehyde and react with Fehling’s reagent.
Aldaric acid No It has only one carboxyl group.
Aldonic acid No Its carboxyl group is at C6; C1 remains the reducing terminus.
Uronic acid Yes The terminal C6 primary-alcohol position is a carboxyl group.
Ketose No Its open-chain reducing group is an aldehyde.
Lactone No The lactone of G has been hydrolysed; the pyranose ring is a hemiacetal.
D sugar No Its C5 configuration places it in the L series.
Achiral No It has fixed stereocentres and no internal symmetry making it achiral.
Meso compound No It lacks the required internal symmetry.

The answers were checked against the official answers published by the organisers.