A convenient synthesis of iminosugar-C-glycosides via organometallic addition to N-benzyl-N-glycosylhydroxylamines

N-Benzyl-N-glycosylhydroxylamines were prepared in very good yield via condensation of furanoses and pyranoses with N-benzylhydroxylamine at 110°C for 30 min under solvent-free conditions. These anomeric sugar-hydroxylamines exist in equilibrium with the open-chain nitrone form. In fact upon treatment with various organometallic reagents, the corresponding adducts were obtained with good to high diastereoselectivity. These adducts were converted into iminosugar-C-glycosides by reductive dehydroxylation and intramolecular cyclization.