Potassium carbonate-mediated β -selective anomeric O -alkylation with primary electrophiles: Application to the synthesis of glycosphingolipids.

Stereoselective construction of a variety of β-glycosides can be achieved using abundant and inexpensive K2 CO3 -mediated stereoselective anomeric O-alkylation of sugar lactols with primary electrophiles. In addition, application of this methodology to the synthesis of various azido-modified glycosphingolipids has been accomplished in good yields and excellent anomeric selectivity using sphingosine-derived primary triflate.