Living polymerization approach to synthetic oligosaccharides and polysaccharides

Polysaccharides are a major class of biomacromolecules that play important roles in numerous biological activities, such as pathogen-host interaction and cell signaling. However, the highly diverse and complex structure of the oligosaccharides and polysaccharides and their heterogenous nature have imposed significant constraints on their characterization and utilization. The chemical synthesis of complex glycans has undergone rapid development in the past decade, but the scalable preparation of oligosaccharides and polysaccharides remains a challenge. In this talk, I will present our efforts to generate chemically defined polysaccharide structures through living polymerization. The molecular weight, chain structure, and chain-end groups can be well-controlled, allowing for scalable access to oligosaccharide and polysaccharide synthons toward complex carbohydrate synthesis.