Total synthesis of (R)- and (S)-turmerone and (7S,9R)-bisacumol by an efficient chemoenzymatic approach

An enantioselective synthesis of (R)-, (S)-turmerone and (7S,9R)-bisacumol is described. The enantiomerically pure key intermediates, a substituted butanoate ester and acid are utilized in the synthesis of both enantiomers of turmerone. The lipase catalyzed resolution studies of the acetate of bisacumol have been exploited towards the total synthesis of the naturally occurring cytotoxic sesquiterpene, (7S,9R)-bisacumol with high diastereoselectivity (94% de).     

A chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution approach to enantiomerically pure (R)- and (S)-duloxetine

The synthesis of (R)-duloxetine is described. Dynamic kinetic resolution of β-hydroxynitrile rac-1 using Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB, N435) and ruthenium catalyst 6 afforded β-cyano acetate (R)-2 in high yield and in excellent enantioselectivity (98% ee). The subsequent synthetic steps were straightforward and (R)-duloxetine was isolated in 37% overall yield over 6 steps. The synthetic route also constitute a formal total synthesis of (S)-duloxetine.     

An efficient chemoenzymatic method to prepare optically active O-methyl-l-serine

O-Methyl-l-serine and its derivatives are relevant in peptide synthesis (food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics). Optically active O-methyl-l-serine was prepared using a chemoenzymatic method from inexpensive acrylamide. Our method is a four step reaction sequence; bromination of acrylamide; etherification of dibromopropionamide; ammonolysis of α-bromo-β-methoxy-propionamide; enzymatic racemization; and selective hydrolysis. The double-enzyme catalyst system, which consists of α-amino-ε-caprolactam racemase (Locus, E01594) and peptidase B (Locus, D84499), was successfully applied to produce enantiopure O-methyl-l-serine (ee >99.9%) in high yield (>99.7%). Optically active O-methyl-l-serine was obtained with a total yield of 82.4%.     

An efficient chemoenzymatic approach to enantiomerically pure 4-[2-(difluoromethoxy)phenyl] substituted 1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylates

An efficient chemoenzymatic synthesis of (−)-3-methyl 5-(2-propoxyethyl) (4R)-4-[2-(difluoromethoxy)phenyl]-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-dihydro-3,5-pyridinedicarboxylate has been achieved. The key step is a highly stereoselective Candida rugosa lipase (CRL)-mediated asymmetrisation of the prochiral bis[(isobutyryloxy)methyl]-4-[2-(difluoromethoxy)phenyl]-1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-3,5-pyridinedicarboxylate.     

A highly efficient chemoenzymatic approach toward glycoprotein synthesis

[reaction: see text] A highly efficient endoglycosidase-catalyzed synthesis of homogeneous glycoproteins is described. By using ribonuclease B as a model system, it was demonstrated that Endo-A could efficiently attach a preassembled oligosaccharide to a GlcNAc-containing protein in a regio- and stereospecific manner, when the corresponding sugar oxazoline was used as the donor substrate. The method allows the synthesis of both natural and tailor-made N-linked glycoproteins in excellent yield.     

An efficient synthetic approach to 6,5'-(S)- and 6,5'-(R)-cyclouridine

Here we present new routes for the efficient syntheses of 6,5'-(S)- and 6,5'-(R)-cyclouridine. The syntheses utilize readily accessible uridine as a starting material. This route to the R diastereomer is significantly more efficient than previous synthetic efforts, allowing us to obtain large amounts of pure material for future biological testing.     

Enantioselective synthesis of (R)- and (S)-curcumene and curcuphenol: an efficient chemoenzymatic route

An efficient enantioselective synthesis of curcumene and curcuphenol is described. The key intermediates, substituted butanoates 7a and 7b and their acids 8a and 8b are obtained in high enantiopurity (>99% ee) by a lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolution process. The enantiopure intermediates thus obtained were utilized for the total synthesis of the target compounds.     

Improved chemoenzymatic asymmetric synthesis of (S)-Rivastigmine

(S)-Rivastigmine [(S)-1] was obtained via a four-step synthesis using an asymmetric enzymatic transamination protocol as the key step. An early introduction of the carbamate pharmacophore side chain avoided the use of protective group strategies and hence led to a considerable shortcut. This strategy required a novel ω-transaminase from Paracoccus denitrificans, which could transform the highly polar key substrate 3-acetylphenyl ethyl(methyl)carbamate (4) to the corresponding amine (S)-5 in 99% ee and >80% conversion.     

A chemoenzymatic approach to (+)-pilocarpine

A short synthesis for the alkaloid (+)-pilocarpine has been developed. Key step of this synthesis is a chemoenzymatic resolution utilizing the lipase AP.     

A chemoenzymatic approach to glycopeptide antibiotics

Many biologically active natural products are constrained by macrocyclization and modified with carbohydrates. These two types of modifications are essential for their biological activities. Here we report a chemoenzymatic approach to make carbohydrate-modified cyclic peptide antibiotics. Using a thioesterase domain from the decapeptide tyrocidine synthetase, 13 head-to-tail cyclized tyrocidine derivatives were obtained with one to three propargylglycines incorporated at positions 3-8. These cyclic peptides were then conjugated to 21 azido sugars via copper(I)-catalyzed cycloaddition. Antibacterial and hemolytic assays showed that the two best glycopeptides, Tyc4PG-14 and Tyc4PG-15, have a 6-fold better therapeutic index than the natural tyrocidine. We believe this method will also be useful for modifying other natural products to search for new therapeutics.     

A simple and practical approach to enantiomerically pure (S)-3-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactone: synthesis of (R)-4-cyano-3-hydroxybutyric acid ethyl ester

The oxidation of α- or β-(1,4) linked disaccharides or oligosaccharides with cumene hydroperoxide in the presence of a base gave (S)-3,4-dihydroxybutyric acid, which was cyclized under acidic conditions to furnish (S)-3-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactone. This was subsequently converted into (R)-cyano-3-hydroxybutyric acid ethyl ester, an intermediate for statin based drugs and other related compounds.     

An efficient and practical chemoenzymatic preparation of optically active secondary amines

[reaction: see text] An efficient and practical chemoenzymatic method was developed for the preparation of a variety of chiral secondary amines. Here, oxalamic esters were identified as unique derivatives amenable to the enzyme-catalyzed kinetic resolution of racemic secondary amines. Both enantiomers of the amines were produced in high optical purity and yields after the cleavage of the oxalamic groups.     

An efficient approach to new dihydroxyquinolizidines

Using d-glyceraldehyde acetonide as a starting material, a four-step synthesis of enantiomerically pure 3,4-dihydroxyquinolizidines is described. The key steps of the synthesis consist of a Mitsunobu ring-closing reaction and the subsequent reduction of a pyridinium ring.     

A practical synthesis of ethyl (R)- and (S)-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutanoate and d-homophenylalanine ethyl ester hydrochloride from l-malic acid

With the readily available l-malic acid as starting material, both enantiomers of ethyl 2-hydroxyl-4-phenylbutanoates and d-homophenylalanine ethyl ester hydrochloride were prepared conveniently in excellent optical purity and 64, 53 and 49% overall yield, respectively.     

An efficient chemoenzymatic method to prepare optically active primary-tertiary trans-cycloalkane-1,2-diamines

Optically active trans-N-Boc-cyclopentane- and cyclohexane-1,2-diamines (7) were prepared by a chemoenzymatic method from the corresponding (±)-trans-N,N-diallylcycloalkane-1,2-diamine. These mono-carbamates 7 (ee=99%) were used as the starting materials in the syntheses of different vicinal primary-tertiary diamines. Thus, by means of a simple three-step sequence involving a reductive-amination of an aromatic aldehyde with 7, N-methylation and finally, cleavage of the Boc group, several trans-N-(arylmethyl)-N-methylcyclopentane- and cyclohexane-1,2-diamines were obtained in high yields.     

Lyotropic para-linked aromatic poly(amic ethyl ester)s

The synthesis, characterization and application of lyotropic precursor polymers for polyimides, poly(amic ethyl ester)s (PAE) are presented. By the use of non-coplanar and para-linked monomers, rigid-rod PAEs are synthesized in a typical polycondensation reaction yielding liquid crystalline solutions at concentrations of 30-40 wt% in NMP at 100°C. These lyotropic solutions permit for the first time the fabrication of orientation PAE layers by shear which are thermally converted to the corresponding polyimide. The bulk orientation in the thin films is characterized by spectroscopic methods. In addition the lyotropic solution is spun into fibers in a dry-jet wet spinning process. The obtained fiber orientation is characterized by tensile tests and wide angle X-ray scattering.     

First synthesis of (±)-bis-homosarkomycin ethyl ester

A five step synthesis of (±)-bis-homosarkomycin ethyl ester 6 has been achieved starting from commercially available ethyl phosphonoacetate and ethyl 5-bromovalerate. The successful synthetic approach to 6 uses α-methylene pimelate 3 as a key intermediate.     

Highly efficient approach to orthogonally protected (2S,4R)- and (2S,4S)-4-hydroxyornithine

[reaction: see text] A concise stereoselective approach to both orthogonally protected (2S,4R)- and (2S,4S)-4-hydroxyornithine, key constituents of the biphenomycin- and clavalanine-type antibiotics, respectively, has been developed. The approach is based on bis(oxazoline) copper(II)-complex-catalyzed diastereoselective Henry reactions of nitromethane with the homoserine-derived aldehyde 6. The synthesis of this versatile chiral building block has been markedly improved.     

An efficient enantioselective synthesis of (S)-(-)-acromelobic acid

[reaction: see text] A highly efficient enantioselective synthesis of (S)-(-)-acromelobic acid (1) was achieved via asymmetric hydrogenation of dehydroamino acid derivative (3) using (R,R)-[Rh(DIPAMP)(COD)]BF(4) catalyst followed by removal of protective groups in >98% ee and good over all yield. The key intermediate (3) was prepared from the commercially available citrazinic acid (4) in six steps.