The second volume in the series Carbohydrate Chemistry: Proven Synthetic Methods, Volume 2 offers a collection of synthetic procedures valuable to the practice of synthetic carbohydrate chemistry. The series takes an important and unique approach in that all described procedures have been independently verified as reliable and reproducible. With editors and contributors who are highly respected scientists in the field, this book provides a widely useful reference for both researchers and students, exploring carbohydrate chemistry from both academic and industrial points of view.

The book begins with an introductory section that offers tricks and tips collected by the series editor from many years of experience working in carbohydrate laboratories. The subsequent chapters present detailed protocols on both specific synthetic transformations and the preparation of common synthetic intermediates, with figures to aid in comprehension. Procedures are described for regioselective benzylidene ring opening reactions, oxidation reactions to provide uronic acids, stereoselective alpha-glucosylation reactions, and more. Protocols for synthetic intermediates of general utility include 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-d-galactal, phenyl 4,6-O-benzylidene-1-thio-α-d-mannopyranoside, 1,2-anhydro-3,4,6-tri-O-benzyl-β-d-mannopyranoside, and methyl N-acetylneuraminic acid, among many others.

Each chapter presents in-depth experimental descriptions for the reported procedures, including reaction setup, reaction conditions, work-up procedures, and purification protocols. The chapters also provide detailed characterization of all products and intermediates as well as copies of the ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR of the described products and intermediates to indicate the purity of the obtained materials and to serve as a valuable reference for future practitioners.

This book provides an important starting point to reliably access synthetic carbohydrate materials and as such offers a valuable resource for the synthetic organic chemistry community. Through the streamlined access of well-defined products it provides a thrust to the rapidly growing field of chemical glycobiology.