Preparation of glycosyl disulfides and sulfides via the formation of glycosyl Bunte salts as thiol surrogates

A convenient odourless reaction condition has been developed for the preparation of symmetrical glycosyl disulfide derivatives and aryl glycosyl disulfide derivatives from corresponding glycosyl iodides via in situ formation of glycosyl Bunte salts as thiol surrogates. The reaction has been further extended towards the preparation of glycosyl sulfides derivatives from corresponding Bunte salt in the presence of sodium sulphide. Most of the reactions were high yielding and suitable for scaling up.