Synthesis of methyl 4′-O-methyl-13C12-β-d-cellobioside from 13C6-d-glucose. Part 1: Reaction optimization and synthesis

A high yielding synthetic route for methyl 4′-O-methyl-β-d-cellobioside starting from d-glucose was established. The reaction conditions optimized with nonlabeled materials were used for the synthesis of methyl 4′-O-methyl-13C12-β-d-cellobioside, a compound having more than 99% 13C enrichment at each of the twelve pyranose carbon atoms. The labeled compound is required to study the hydrogen bond network of cellodextrins and cellulose by CPMAS NMR experiments.