Preparation of polyhydroxyalkyl- and C-glycosylfuran derivatives from free sugars catalyzed by cerium(III) chloride in aqueous solution: an improvement of the Garcia González reaction

Unprotected aldose sugars react smoothly with 1,3-diones or β-ketoesters in the presence of CeCl3·7H2O in aqueous solution to produce polyhydroxylalkyl- and C-glycosylfuran derivatives in excellent yield. Operationally simple, mild neutral reaction conditions in aqueous solution is the key feature of this methodology.