The reactions of sodium benzoate with a series of trimesylates derived from glucosamine have been examined in an attempt to gain facile access to galactosamine analogues. Trimesylate 17, in which the amino group was protected as a phthalimide, underwent double displacement at positions 4 and 6 to give the dibenzoate 18 with the desired galactosamine configuration. In contrast, trimesylates 21 and 27, in which the amino groups were protected as acetamides, unexpectedly underwent double displacement at positions 3 and 6, giving products 22 and 28, respectively, with allosamine configurations.

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Sialyl Lewis X (SLe(x)) analogs 2a and 2b were synthesised, where the N-acetyl-D-glucose and the D-galactose units of SLe(x) 1 were replaced with an alkyl and a heteroalkyl spacer. Sulphate ester 6i was also synthesised from alcohol 6b and chlorosulphonic acid. A novel promoter. silver mercaptoethanesulphonate. was used to synthesise alpha-sialosides 2c, 7b and 7c.