Straightforward Synthesis of N-Glycan Polymers from Free Glycans via Cyanoxyl Free Radical-Mediated Polymerization

We report a straightforward synthesis of N-glycan polymers from free glycans via glycosylamine intermediates followed by acrylation and polymerization via cyanoxyl-mediated free radical polymerization (CMFRP) in one-pot fashion. No protection and deprotection were used in either glycomonomer or glycopolymer synthesis. A typical synthetic procedure for N-glycan polymers from free monosaccharide and disaccharide, Glc, Gal, Man, GlcNAc, and Lac, was demonstrated. In addition, enzymatic sialylation of the Lac-containing N-glycan polymers and their anti-influenza virus hemagglutination activities were investigated.