α-Glycosyl amides can be synthesized from the corresponding O-benzyl-α-glycosyl azides using a traceless Staudinger ligation with diphenylphosphanyl-phenyl esters 4. All the phosphines employed and their phenol precursors are stable to air at 4° C for months. Fast intramolecular trapping of the reduction intermediates results in the direct formation of the amide link, which, in turn, prevents epimerisation and allows retention of configuration at ...
