Thiol addition to protected allyl glycosides: An improved method for the preparation of spacer-arm glycosides

A useful method for the preparation of differently functionalized sulfide spacer-arm glycosides is presented. Several protected allyl glycosides were variously elongated via a radical addition reaction with pentanethiol, methyl 3-mercaptopropionate, or 2-mercaptoethanol. The hydroxyl function of protected 3-(2-hydroxyethylthio)propyl glycosides was subsequently transformed into an azide function.