Determination of the structures of trisaccharides by 13C-n.m.r. spectroscopy

A literature survey of the 13C-n.m.r. chemical-shift data for aqueous solutions of monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and their methyl derivatives is reported. Analysis of these data reveals a set of empirical rules which may be used in the elucidation of the structure of trisaccharides of known monosaccharide composition, and an example is reported. However, it is not possible to extend the rules to tetrasaccharides and higher saccharides without additional chemical-shift data for related model compounds.