Raman-encoded, multivalent glycan-nanoconjugates for traceable specific binding and killing of bacteria.

Glycan recognition plays key roles in cell-cell and host-pathogen interactions, stimulating widespread interest in developing multivalent glycoconjugates with superior binding affinity for biological and medical uses. Here, we explore the use of Raman-encoded silver coated gold nanorods (GNRs) as scaffolds to form multivalent glycoconjugates. The plasmonic scaffolds afford high-loading of glycan density and their optical properties offer the possibilities of monitoring and quantitative analysis of glycan recognition. Using E. coli strains with tailored on/off of the FimH receptors, we have demonstrated that Raman-encoded GNRs not only allow for real-time imaging and spectroscopic detection of specific binding of the glycan-GNR conjugates with bacteria of interest, but also cause rapid eradication of the bacteria due to the efficient photothermal conversion of GNRs in the near-infrared spectral window. We envision that optically active plasmonic glycoconjugates hold great potential for screening multivalent glycan ligands for therapeutic and diagnostic applications.

AuCl3-AgOTf promoted O-glycosylation using anomeric sulfoxides as glycosyl donors at room temperature.

Activation of sulfoxide as glycosyl donors using AuCl3/AgOTf reagent system has been described. Under optimal reaction conditions, both armed and disarmed glycosyl sulfoxide donors were found to react with a range of primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohol acceptors, and sugar derived glycosyl acceptors to afford the corresponding glycosides in moderate to good yields with predictable selectivity. The reactions are quick (20-60 min), facile at room temperature and the reactions conditions tolerate acid sensitive groups.

Interrupting Nazarov Reaction with Different Trapping Modality: Utilizing Potassium Alkynyltrifluoroborate as a σ-Nucleophile.

The putative oxyallyl cation intermediate generated following Nazarov cyclization of dienone has been successfully intercepted with potassium alkynyltrifluoroborates which act as σ-nucleophiles in the presence of BF3·Et2O. This new trapping modality allowed unprecedented introduction of an alkynyl moiety to the cyclopentanone framework by means of an interrupted Nazarov reaction. The α-alkynyl cyclopentanone product can be further transformed into an array of densely functionalized cyclic compounds.

Synthesis of sugar-derived spiroaminals via lactamization and metathesis reactions.

A series of sugar-derived spiroaminals has been synthesized by utilizing cross metathesis, ring closing metathesis and lactamization reactions as key steps from 1-C-alkylated glycosyl azides and important correlations in the spectral data between spiroaminals and their respective anomers are reported.