Direct Formation of Amide-Linked C -Glycosyl Amino Acids and Peptides via Photoredox/Nickel Dual Catalysis.
Xiang-Yu YeGuanjie WangZhichao JinBin YuJunmin ZhangShi-Chao RenYonggui Robin ChiPublished in: Journal of the American Chemical Society (2024)
Glycoproteins account for numerous biological processes including those associated with diseases and infections. The advancement of glycopeptides has emerged as a promising strategy for unraveling biological pathways and discovering novel medicines. In this arena, a key challenge arises from the absence of efficient synthetic strategies to access glycopeptides and glycoproteins. Here, we present a highly concise approach to bridging saccharides with amino acids and peptides through an amide linkage. Our amide-linked C -glycosyl amino acids and peptides are synthesized through cooperative Ni-catalyzed and photoredox processes. The catalytic process generates a glycosyl radical and an amide carbonyl radical, which subsequently combine to yield the C -glycosyl products. The saccharide reaction partners encompass mono-, di-, and trisaccharides. All 20 natural amino acids, peptides, and their derivatives can efficiently undergo glycosylations with yields ranging from acceptable to high, demonstrating excellent stereoselectivities. As a substantial expansion of applications, we have shown that simple C -glycosyl amino acids can function as versatile building units for constructing C -glycopeptides with intricate spatial complexities.