Photochemical Iron-Catalyzed Decarboxylative S-Glycosylation

Alkyl thioglycosides represent key structural motifs in pharmaceuticals and are highly valued for their role as carbohydrate mimics in drug design. Herein, we report the first protocol for the direct construction of alkyl thioglycosides via photoinduced iron-catalyzed decarboxylative coupling of glycosyl thiosulfonates with primary, secondary, and tertiary alkyl carboxylic acids. This novel strategy circumvents the intractable anomeric control challenge, enabling the synthesis of a diverse range of alkyl thioglycosides with complete stereoretention. Furthermore, they are applicable to the late-stage glycodiversification of structurally complex molecules and the preparation of bioactive compounds.