Highly efficient α-C-sialylation promoted by (p-Tol)2SO/Tf2O with N-acetyl-5-N,4-O-oxazolidione protected thiosialoside as donor.

Based on a preactivation protocol with (p-Tol)2SO/Tf2O, a practical, straightforward, and high-yielding synthesis of α-sialyl C-glycosides was accomplished by coupling N-acetyl-5-N,4-O-oxazolidione protected thiosialoside with various trimethylsilyl enol ethers and allyltrimethylsilanes. High yields and excellent α-selectivities were obtained for the strong π-nucleophiles with large nucleophilicity values (N = 4.4-9.0), irrespective of whether silyl enol ethers, silyl ketene acetals or allyltrimethylsilanes were used for the electrophilic C-sialylation.