Solvolysis with trifluoroacetic acid: an efficient method for selective cleavage of polysaccharides

Solvolysis of polysaccharides with trifluoroacetic acid is efficient for selective cleavage of certain glycosidic linkages. This method was successfully used for structure elucidation of polysaccharides and obtaining oligosaccharides from polysaccharides for construction of glycoconjugate vaccines in cases of O-specific polysaccharides of bacteria Enterobacter cloacae and Shigella flexneri.