Palladium-charcoal-catalyzed reduction of tri-O-acetyl-beta-L-fucopyranosyl cyanide: a route to small cluster oligosaccharide mimetics (SCOMs).

[reaction: see text] Synthesis of glycosyl cyanides was optimized with a new catalyst system. Reduction of tri-O-acetyl-beta-L-fucopyranosyl cyanide with Pd-hydrogen, in the presence of Ac(2)O and Boc(2)O, gave N-protected-mono- and -di-(2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-beta-L-fucopyranosylmethyl)-amines, which allow for the syntheses of small cluster oligosaccharide mimetics of fucopyranosylomethyl-substituted ureas. From di-(2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-beta-L-fucopyranosylmethyl) amine was also prepared a carbamoyl chloride as a potentially useful synthon for preparation of more complex C-glycosidic conjugates.