Fast oxidation of thioglycosides to glycosyl sulfones using KMnO4/CuSO4·5H2O under neutral reaction conditions

A rapid oxidation of thioglycosides to glycosyl sulfones has been achieved using a combination of KMnO4 and CuSO4·5H2O in acetonitrile and water. This reaction protocol has many advantages compared to other methods available for this transformation, including compatibility with acid and base labile functional groups used for the protection of carbohydrates, high yields, fast reaction times, and moderate reaction temperatures. The yields obtained were excellent in all cases.