Synthesis of sugar-based ethenyl ethers through a vinyl bis-sulfone methodology

The recently devised route to ethenyl ethers—i.e. 1,2-bis(phenylsulfonyl)ethylene (BPSE)-mediated conversion of alcohols into β-alkoxyvinyl sulfones followed by reductive desulfonylation—has been applied in the carbohydrate field to the synthesis of a number of vinyl-functionalised monosaccharides, a number of which had not been prepared via alternative routes.