Synthesis and Characterization of Enantiomerically Pure cis‐ and trans‐3‐Fluoro‐2,4‐dioxa‐8‐aza‐3‐phosphadecalin 3‐Oxides as γ‐Homoacetylcholine Mimetics and Inhibitors of Acetylcholinesterase

The title compounds, the P(3)‐axially and P(3)‐equatorially substituted cis‐ and trans‐configured 8‐benzyl‐3‐fluoro‐2,4‐dioxa‐8‐aza‐3‐phosphadecalin 3‐oxides (=8‐benzyl‐3‐fluoro‐2,4‐dioxa‐8‐aza‐3‐phosphabicyclo4.4.0]decane 3‐oxides=2‐fluorohexahydro‐6‐(phenylmethyl)‐4H‐1,3,2‐dioxaphosphorino5,4‐c]pyridine 2‐oxides) were prepared (ee>98%) and fully characterized (Schemes 2 and 3). The absolute configurations were established from that of their precursors, the enantiomerically pure cis‐ and trans‐1‐benzyl‐4‐hydroxypiperidine‐3‐methanols which were unambiguously assigned. Being configuratively fixed and conformationally constrained phosphorus analogues of acetyl γ‐homocholine (=3‐(acetyloxy)‐N,N,N‐trimethylpropan‐1‐aminium), they are suitable probes for the investigation of molecular interactions with acetylcholinesterase. As determined by kinetic methods, all of the compounds are weak inhibitors of the enzyme.