Papain-induced Oligomerization of α-Amino Acid Esters

Oligomers of leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine were prepared enzymatically (using papain) from the respective methyl esters, with yields ranging from 51–96%. The effect of pH, buffer and salt concentration, and addition of alcohol on the oligomerization of leucine methyl ester was examined. The limits and potentialities of the enzymatic reaction as a method for obtaining monodisperse oligomers are discussed.     

Preparation of α-Bromo- and α-Chlorocarboxylic Acids from α-Amino Acids

Diazotization of α-amino acids in 48:52 (w/w) hydrogen fluoride/pyridine along with excess of potassium halide results in the corresponding α-halocarboxylic acids in good to excellent yields (Table 1 and 2).     

Brominations of Cyclic Acetals from α-Amino Acids and α- or β-Hydroxy Acids with N-Bromosucinimide

The preparation of novel electrophilic building blocks for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure compounds (EPC) is described. Thus, the 2-(tert-butyl)dioxolanones, -oxazolidinones, -imidazolidinones, and -dioxanones obtained by acetalization of pivalaldehyde with 2-hydroxy-, 3-hydroxy-, or 2-amino-carboxylic acids are treated with N-bromosuccinimide under typical radical-chain reaction conditions (azoisobuytyronitril/CCl₄/reflux). Products of bromination in the α-position of the carbonyl group of the five-membered-ring acetals are isolated or identified ( 2, 5 , and 8 ; Scheme 1). The dioxanones are converted to 2H, 4H-dioxinones under these conditions ( 12 , 14 , 15 , 21 , and 22 ; Schemes 2 and 3). The products can be converted to chiral derivatives of pyruvic acid (methylidene derivatives 3 and 6 ) or of 3-oxo-butanoic and -pentanoic acid ( 16 and 23 ). The mechanism of the brominations is interpreted. The conversion of serine to enactiomcrically pure dioxanones 26–28 (Scheme 4) is also discussed.     

Enantioselective Syntheses of α-Amino Acids from 10-(Aminosulfonyl)-2-bornyl Esters and Di(tert-butyl) Azodicarboxylate. Preliminary Communication

Succesive treatment of chiral esters 1 with LiN(i-Pr)₂/Me₃SiCl and di(tert-butyl) azodicarboxylate/TiCl₄/Ti(i-PrO)₄ gave N,N′ -di[(tert-butoxy)carbonyl]hydrazino esters 9 which on deacylation, hydrogenolysis, transesterification, and acidic hydrolysis furnished (2S)-α-amino acids 6 in high enantiomeric purity with efficient recovery of the auxiliary alcohol 7 .     

Isomerization of N-[α-(Alkylthio)alkyl]- and N-[α-(Arylthio)alkyl]benzotriazoles

The thermal isomerizations of N-[α-(alkylthio)alkyl]- and N-[α-(arylthio)alkyl]benzotriazoles have been investigated under N₂ atmospheres (i) in toluene, xylene, MeOH, or EtOH, in the presence of acid catalysts and (ii) in the absence of solvent. The sulfide isomerization rates depend on the number of H-atoms carried by the C-atom attached to the N-atom of the benzotriazole: tertiary (no hydrogen) > secondary (1 hydrogen) > primary (2 hydrogens). The results support an isomenzation mechanism involving a heterolytic N? C bond cleavage with formation of sulfonium/carbonium and benzotriazolate ions.     

Asymmetric Synthesis of α-Amino Acids and α-N-Hydroxyamino Acids from N-Acylbornane-10,2-sultams: 1-chloro-1-nitrosocyclohexane as a practical [NH] equivalent

Successive treatment of N-acylsultams 3 with sodium hexamethyldisilazide, 1-chloro-1-nitrosocyclohexane ( 1 ), and aq. HCl gave diastereoisomerically pure, crystalline N-hydroxyamino-acid derivatives 5 . These were converted into various amino acids 7 , N-hydroxyamino acids 8 , and an N-Boc-amino acid 9 . (S, S)-Isoleucine ( 17 ) and (S, S)-2-acetamido-3-phenylbutyric acid ( 23 ) were obtained from N-crotonoylsultam 15 via 1,4-addition of an organomagnesium or organocopper reagent followed by enolate ‘amination’ with 1 .     

A New General Approach to Enantiomerically Pure Cyclic and Open-Chain (R)- and (S)-α,α-Disubstituted α-Amino Acids

A wide range of cyclic and open-chain α,α-disubstituted α-amino acids 1a-p were prepared. The racemic N-acylated α,α-disubstituted amino acids were resolved by coupling to chiral amines 15-18 derived from (S)-phenylalanine to form diastereoisomers 19/20 or 21/22 that could be separated by crystallization and/or flash chromatography on silica gel (Scheme 3). Selective cleavage via the 1,3-oxazol-5(4H)-ones 10a-p gave the corresponding optically pure α,α-disubstituted amino-acid derivatives 11 or 12 in high yield (Scheme 3). The absolute configurations of the α,α-disubstituted amino acids were determined from X-ray structures of the diastereoisomers 20, 21g′, 22d .     

Asymmetric Synthesis of α-Amino Acids from Glycine

Enantioselective synthesis of optically active α-amino acids from glycine via Schiff base employing (+)-N,N-diisopropyl-10-camphorsulfonamide as a chiral template is described.