A general and practical route to
carbohydrate–aryl ethers
by nucleophilic aromatic substitution (S<sub>N</sub>Ar) is reported.
Upon treatment with KHMDS, C–O bond formation occurs between
carbohydrate alcohols and a diverse range of fluorinated (hetero)aromatics
to provide the targets in good to excellent yields. Commercially available
arylating agents, high atom economy, and high regioselectivity are
notable features of the protocol. The aryl ether products have potential
for wide-ranging applications as exemplified by the synthesis of a
novel chiral P,N-ligand
