Convenient access to both enantiomers of new azido- and aminoinositols via a chemoenzymatic route

1,2-diacetylconduritol E, (±)-1, through complementary use of Mucor miehei (Lipozyme^® IM) and Candida cylindracea lipases, affords (1S)-1,2-diacetylconduritol E, (+)-1, (1R)-1,2-diacetylconduritol E, (−)-1, (1S)-1,2,4-triacetylconduritol E, (+)-2, (1R)-1,2,4-triacetylconduritol E, (−)-2, with high enantiomeric excesses and chemical yields. Following two different methods, diester (+)-1 has been transformed into azidoinositol (−)-4 to give 1L-4-amino-4-deoxy-chiro-inositol, whereas triester (−)-2 furnished the azidoinositol (+)-13, easily converted into 1L-4-amino-4-deoxy-myo-inositol.     

Microbial reduction of 2-(6-m-methoxyphenyl-3-oxohexyl)-2,4-dimethylcyclopenta-1,3-dione with Schizosaccharomyces pombe (NRRL Y-164)

A mixture of cis- and trans-2-(6-m-methoxyphenyl-3-oxohexyl)-2,4-dimethylcyclopenta-1,3-dione (±)-10 was synthesized and incubated with Schizosaccharomyces pombe (NRRL Y-164) to give (+)-11, (+)-12, (−)-13, and (−)-14 in 19, 13, 22, and 16% yields, respectively. Chromic acid oxidation of these microbiologically reduced products gave (−)-10a, (+)-10b, (+)-10a, and (−)-10b, respectively.     

Resolution of 7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-en-2-one via cyclic aminals

High yielding resolution of racemic 7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-en-2-one (±)-1 (`7-oxanorbornenone') via aminal formation with (R,R)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine 2 is reported. Acidic hydrolysis furnishes the enantiomeric ketones (+)-1 and (−)-1 (≥95% ee). The chiral diamine is efficiently recovered.     

Synthesis of versatile chiral intermediates by enantioselective conjugate addition of alkenyl Grignard reagents to enamides deriving from (R)-(−)- or (S)-(+)-2-aminobutan-1-ol

Conjugate addition of but-3-enylmagnesium bromide to the chiral crotonamide (R)-(+)- and (S)-(−)-3, followed by hydrolysis and oxidation, afforded enantiopure (R)-(+)- and (S)-(−)-3-methyladipic acids 8, respectively. Conjugate addition of vinylmagnesium chloride to the chiral crotonamide and cinnamamides (R)-(+)-3–5, followed by hydrolysis, gave the alkenoic acids (S)-12–14, respectively. Iodolactonization of the latter led to the 5-iodomethyllactones (+)-15–17, which were reduced by means of n-Bu₃SnH into the trans-disubstituted 5-methyllactones (+)-19–21, respectively. Treatment of the iodomethyllactone (+)-16 with LiMe₂Cu or n-Bu₂CuLi furnished the trans-5-alkyl-4-phenyllactones (−)-22 or (+)-23.     

A straightforward synthesis of both enantiomers of allo-norcoronamic acids and allo-coronamic acids,by asymmetric Strecker reaction from alkylcyclopropanone acetals

Methylcyclopropanone hemiacetal (2S)-3a underwent the asymmetric Strecker reaction induced by a chiral amine to provide a useful synthesis of enantiomerically pure (1R,2S)-(+)-allo-norcoronamic acid 1 in good yield and high enantiomeric excess. From racemic alkyl hemiacetal (±)-3, the same methodology also constituted a useful way to prepare both (+)-1 and (−)-1 and (+)-allo-coronamic acid 2 and its antipode (−)-2 with good yield and high enantiomeric excess.     

Enzymatic resolution of (±)-conduritol-B,a key intermediate for the synthesis of glycosidase inhibitors

Lipases from porcine pancreas, Candida cylindracea and Mucor miehei (adsorbed on support, Lipozyme^® IM) catalysed in t-butylmethylether the alcoholysis of rac-conduritol-B peracetate, (±)-1, by n-butanol to give enantiopure (2S,3S)-diacetoxy-(1R,4R)-dihydroxycyclohex-5-ene, (−)-3, and (1S,2R,3R,4S)-tetraacetoxy-cyclohex-5-ene, (+)-1. The enantioforms (+)- and (−)-conduritol-B, obtained after chemical hydrolysis of (−)-3 and (+)-1, respectively, may be employed to prepare both the enantiomers of conduritol-B epoxide and cyclophellitol, powerful inhibitors of glycosidases.     

Synthesis of (S)-(−)- and (R)-(+)-O-methylbharatamine using a diastereoselective Pomeranz–Fritsch–Bobbitt methodology

Laterally lithiated (S)-(−)- and (R)-(+)-o-toluamides 6 with a chiral auxiliary derived from (S)- and (R)-phenylalaninol, respectively, were used as the building blocks and chirality inductors in the asymmetric modification of the Pomeranz–Fritsch–Bobbitt synthesis of isoquinoline alkaloids. Their addition to imine 2 proceeded with partial cyclization, giving isoquinolones (+)-7 and (−)-7 along with acyclic products, (−)-8 and (+)-8, respectively. LAH-reduction of (+)-7 and (−)-7, followed by cyclization, afforded both enantiomers of the alkaloid, (S)-(−)- and (R)-(+)-O-methylbharatamine 5, in 32% and 40% overall yield and with 88% and 73% ees, respectively.     

Are the absolute configurations of 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-chromen-4-one and its 6-bromo derivative determined by X-ray crystallography correct? A vibrational circular dichroism study of their acetate derivatives

The vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra of the acetate derivative, 3, of 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-chromen-4-one, 1, and the acetate derivative, 4, of 6-bromo-2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-chromen-4-one, 2, in the CO stretching region are reported. Density functional theory (DFT) predictions of the VCD spectra of the CO stretching modes of (R)-3 and (R)-4 are in excellent agreement with the experimental spectra for (+)-3 and (+)-4, demonstrating that the absolute configurations of both molecules are (R)-(+)/(S)-(−). Since acetylation of (+)-1 and (+)-2 yields (+)-3 and (+)-4, this in turn leads to (R)-(+)/(S)-(−) for both 1 and 2. The absolute configurations of (−)-1 and (−)-2 were previously determined using X-ray crystallography to be R and S, respectively. Our results lead to the conclusion that the previously reported absolute configuration of 1 is incorrect.This work is the first to apply the ‘conformational rigidification via chemical derivatisation’ methodology to the determination of absolute configuration using VCD spectroscopy and illustrates its utility in determining the absolute configurations of chiral alcohols and, by extension, other classes of chiral molecules containing flexible functional groups.     

Total,asymmetric synthesis of ethyl d-ido-4-heptulosuronate derivatives starting from diethyl 4-oxopimelate

Bromination of diethyl 4-oxopimelate, followed by double elimination of HBr and ketalization provided diethyl (E,E)-4,4-(ethylidenedioxy)hepta-2,5-dienedioate 4. Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation of 4 produced diethyl (2S,3S)-4,4-(ethylidenedioxy)-2,3-dihydroxyhept-5-enedioate (+)-5, with 78% e.e. The corresponding tetrol could not be obtained in one step. Silylation of (+)-5 and a second asymmetric dihydroxylation, followed by silylation led to 20% of meso-diester 9 and 60% of diethyl (2S,3S,5S,6S)-2,3,5,6-tetrakis[(t-butyl)dimethylsilyloxy]-4,4-(ethylidenedioxy)heptanedioate (−)-10. Reductive desymmetrization of (−)-10 with DIBAL-H furnished, after selective oxidation, ethyl (2S,3S,5S,6S)-2,3,5,6-tetrakis-[(t-butyl)dimethylsilyloxy]-4,4-(ethylidenedioxy)-7-oxoheptanoate (+)-13 which was then converted into ethyl 1,2,3,6-O-tetraacetyl-4,4-ethylidenedioxy-α- and β-d-ido-heptapyranuronate (−)-15α,β and into the corresponding 3-(α-d-pyranosyl)propene (−)-16.     

Bone collagen cross-links: an efficient one-pot synthesis of (+)-pyridinoline and (+)-dexoypyridinoline

A one-pot reaction of (2S,5R)-(−)-tert-butyl-[(2-tert-butoxycarbonyl)amino]-5-hydroxy-6-aminohexanoate 2b or (S)-(−)-tert-butyl-[(2-tert-butoxycarbonyl)amino]-6-aminohexanoate 2c with (S)-(−)-tert-butyl-6-bromo-[bis-(2-tert-butoxycarbonyl)amino]-5-oxohexanoate 5 in the presence of K₂CO₃ in MeCN–MeOH followed by hydrolysis gave bone collagen cross-links, (+)-Pyd 1b or (+)-Dpd 1c, in 42–48% yield, respectively.     

Tri- and tetrasubstituted α-fluorocyclohexanones with enantiomeric excesses in the range of 97–100%

The α-fluorinated trisubstituted ketones (2S,5R)-(−)-7-Ia, (2R,5R)-(+)-7-IIe, (2S,5R)-(−)-8-Ia and (2R,5R)-(+)-8-IIe were synthesised from (+)-dihydrocarvone (99% (R)-configuration at C-5) and fully characterised. α-Fluorinated tetrasubstituted ketones (−)-9-Ia, (+)-9-Ia, (+)-9-IIa and (+)-10-Ia having e.e.s of ≥97% were synthesised as racemates from 3-methyl cyclohexenone then resolved into the pure enantiomers using chiral HPLC and fully characterised.     

Synthesis of (R)-(+)-methyl 3-amino-3-(5-hydroxy-2-pyridinyl)propanoate,an analog of l-azatyrosine

A concise asymmetric synthesis of (R)-(+)-methyl 3-amino-3-(5-hydroxy-2-pyridinyl)propanoate 2, a β-amino acid analog of l-azatyrosine 1 starting from the commercially available (−)-Andersen reagent (−)-3 in good overall yield is described.     

2,2′-Dihydroxy-3,3′-dimethoxy-5,5′-dimethyl-6,6′-dibromo-1,1′-biphenyl: preparation,resolution, structure and biological activity

The preparation and resolution of the titled conformationally stable biphenyl 1 has been performed in high chemical yield starting from creosol 2. Enantiopure biphenyls (aR)-(+)-1 and (aS)-(−)-1 were obtained by the corresponding menthylcarbonate diastereomer and successive reduction. The absolute configuration and specific rotation were correlated by X-ray analysis of the crystal structure of diastereopure menthylcarbonate (aS,1R,1′R,2S,2′S,5R,5′R)-(+)-16. Preliminary biological evaluation of both racemic enantiomers of 1 has been carried out on melanoma cell lines and significant and selective anticancer activity has been observed for the enantiomer (aS)-(−)-1.     

2-Methoxy-2-(1-naphthyl)propionic acid,a powerful chiral auxiliary for enantioresolution of alcohols and determination of their absolute configurations by the 1H NMR anisotropy method

Racemic 2-methoxy-2-(1-naphthyl)propionic acid (1, MαNP acid) was enantioresolved as its esters derived from various chiral alcohols. For example, a diastereomeric mixture of esters prepared from (±)-1 and (1R,3R,4S)-(−)-menthol was easily separated by HPLC on silica gel yielding esters (−)-2a and (−)-2b, the separation factor α=1.83 being unusually large. The ¹H NMR chemical shift differences, Δδ=δ(R)–δ(S), between diastereomers 2a and 2b, are much larger than those of conventional chiral auxiliaries, e.g. Mosher’s MTPA and Trost’s MPA acids. This acid 1 is therefore very powerful for determining the absolute configuration of chiral alcohols by the ¹H NMR anisotropy method. Solvolysis of the separated esters yielded enantiopure acids (S)-(+)-1 and (R)-(−)-1, which are useful for enantioresolution of racemic alcohols.     

Enantioselective syntheses of α-phenylalkanamines via intermediate addition of Grignard reagents to chiral hydrazones derived from (R)-(−)-2-aminobutan-1-ol

The hydrazine (R)-(−)-28 was obtained in four steps from 2-aminobutan-1-ol (R)-(−)-11, and reacted with benzaldehyde to give the hydrazone (R)-(−)-29. Nucleophilic addition of various alkyl Grignard reagents to the latter yielded the corresponding trisubstituted hydrazines (R,R)-30a–g in 70–89% yields and having d.e.s=100% (¹H and ¹³C NMR). Catalytic hydrogenolysis of these hydrazines afforded the corresponding (R)-(+)-α-phenylalkanamines (R)-(+)-31a–g having e.e.s=90–92% (chiral GPC).     

Stereospecific synthesis and hydrolysis of optically active diaryl(acylamino)(acyloxy)spiro-λ4-sulfanes and related cyclic diaryl(acylamino)sulfonium salts

The stereospecific synthesis of diaryl(acylamino)(acyloxy)spiro-λ⁴-sulfanes (S)-(+)-2, (R)-(+)-5, (S)-(+)-8, and their conversion into related diaryl(acylamino)sulfonium tetrafluoroborates (R)-(+)-3, (S)-(+)-6, (R)-(+)-9, respectively, is described. The enantiomers of spiro-λ⁴-sulfanes (S)-(+)-2, (R)-(+)-5 and (S)-(+)-8 were prepared by dehydration of the corresponding optically active sulfoxide–carboxylic acids (R)-(+)-1, (R)-(−)-4 and (S)-(+)-7, respectively, which were obtained from the racemic forms by diastereoisomeric salt separation with homochiral organic bases. The stereomechanism of the hydrolysis reaction of spiro-λ⁴-sulfanes and sulfonium tetrafluoroborates that depends on pH, the nature of the axial heteroatom, the size of the spiro rings and carboxyl neighbouring group participation is also discussed.     

First stereoselective synthesis of (4aS,5R)-4,4a,5,6,7,8-hexahydro-4a,5-dimethyl-2(3H)-naphthalenone

The synthesis of enantiomerically pure (4aS,5R)-hexahydro-4a,5-dimethyl-2(3H)-naphthalenone (−)-1 is described for the first time. The synthesis starts from (R)-3-methylcyclohexanone and involves the preparation of Piers enol lactone 6 in its enantiopure form as the key intermediate. Treatment of (+)-6 with methyl lithium followed by an intramolecular aldol reaction gives the bicyclic enone (−)-1.     

New methodology for the synthesis of enantiopure (3R,2aR)-(−)-3-phenyl-hexahydro-oxazolo[3,2-a]-pyridin-5-one: a synthesis of (S)-(+)-coniine

A new and efficient methodology for the enantiopure synthesis of (3R,2aR)-(−)-3-phenyl-hexahydro-oxazolo[3,2-a]pyridin-5-one 3 starting from (1′R)-(−)-1-(2′-hydroxy-1′-phenyl-ethyl)-(1H)-pyridin-2-one 1 is described. In addition, the enantiospecific synthesis of (S)-(+)-coniine hydrochloride 6 in good yield from 3 is reported.     

Syntheses of pyridin-4-ylium chirons: applications in a synthesis of (+)-coniine

The compounds (3R,5S)-(+)-5-methyl-3-phenyl-2,3,5,6,7,8-hexahydro-oxazolo[3,2-a]pyridin-4-ylium iodide 4 and (3R,5S)-(+)-5-n-propyl-3-phenyl-2,3,5,6,7,8-hexahydro-oxazolo[3,2-a]pyridin-4-ylium iodide 5 were synthesized in two steps starting from the bicyclic thiolactam trans (3R,2aS)-(−)-5-thio-3-phenyl-2,3,6,7,8,2a-hexahydro-oxazolo[3,2-a]pyridine 1. In addition, starting from 5 an enantiospecific synthesis of (+)-coniine 7 was achieved.     

Solid state properties of 1,2-epoxy-3-(2-methoxyphenyloxy)-propane—valuable intermediate in non-racemic drug synthesis

Racemic 1,2-epoxy-3-(2-methoxyphenyloxy)-propane 1 undergoes spontaneous resolution upon crystallization. This fact is confirmed by coincidence of the IR spectra of racemic and scalemic crystalline samples of 1, by thermal analysis (single eutectic V-shape binary melting phase diagram), and X-ray analysis (space group P2₁2₁2₁, Z = 4). Racemic 1 could be resolved into (S)-(+)- and (R)-(−)-1 by a preferential crystallization procedure.