Synthetic Applications of Carbohydrates

Abstract

In this thesis some synthetic aspects of carbohydrates will be treated. In particular, after a general introduction on the chemistry of carbohydrates,in Chapter 2 it will be explored the mechanism and synthetic potentials of the acetolysis reaction on 6-deoxysugars. In Chapter 3 it will be proposed a new synthetic methodology for the obtainment of peptidoglycan fragments in order to have a better understanding through biological essays of how the peptidoglycan is recognized both in plants and in mammals and how possible modifications affect its biological activity. In Chapter 4 it is proposed a new route for the synthesis of a class of glycomometics in which the two saccharide units are linked together by an urea-linkage without using the anomeric centre. The chemistry and the self-assembling properties of gluco- and galacto- urea-derivatives will be then evaluated.