Synthesis and characterization of regioselectively substituted curdlan hetero esters via an unexpected acyl migration.

Regioselectively substituted curdlan esters were synthesized by protecting the C6 primary hydroxyl group with a triphenylmethyl group followed by the acylation of the secondary hydroxyl groups at C2 and C4. The subsequent detritylation of C6 trityl group under acidic conditions revealed an unexpected acyl migration from C4 to C6. This unique acyl migration in curdlan was first observed, which haven't been reported in other polysaccharides such as cellulose. The rate of this migration was found to be dependent on the length of the acyl group, leading to the proposal of a new mechanism for this transformation. Based on these results, we synthesized 2,6-di-O-acetyl-4-O-propionyl-curdlan, which was fully characterized by