Carbohydrate Synthesis

Approaching carbohydrate chemistry for the first time can be daunting as basic information is often buried in texts intended for advanced practitioners in the field. This brief primer attempts to bridge that gap. Chapter 1 introduces the basics of carbohydrate structure. Chapter 2 introduces the various roles carbohydrates play in biology. Chapter 3 discusses the glycosylation reaction used to assemble oligosaccharides along with a survey of commonly used glycosyl donors. Chapter 4 discusses commonly used protecting groups. Chapter 5 covers advances in automating the carbohydrate synthesis. Chapter 6 introduces the role of enzymes in the synthesis of homogeneous carbohydrates and glycoproteins. The authors hope this primer will introduce the uninitiated to the challenges and beauty of carbohydrate synthesis and inspire them to bring a new perspective and new advances to the field. Only by doing so will we, as a community of synthetic chemists, be able to tame one of the last and arguably most complex areas of chemical space to create new advances in human health.