Interactions between boric acid derivatives and saccharides in aqueous media: Structures and stabilities of resulting esters

The general principles of interaction between bor(on)ic acids and sugars in aqueous media are discussed with a focus on the structural aspects that play a role with respect to the regioselectivity of the interactions and the stability of the resulting adducts. Preorganization and pKas appear to play important roles. Glucose and sialic acid will be demonstrated to be the promising targets for artificial B-based sensors. These sugars are important markers for diabetes and cancer, respectively.