Regioselective enzymatic acylation of vicinal diols of steroids

Monoacylated derivatives of a complete set of 2,3- and 3,4-vicinal diols of steroids were prepared by regioselective lipase-catalysed transesterification reactions. The enzymes displayed different selectivities towards the vicinal diols depending on the configuration of the hydroxyl groups.     

Regioselective acylation of 6-O-protected octyl β-d-glucopyranosides by DMAP catalysis

Regioselectivity of acylation of 6-O-protected octyl β-d-glucopyranosides was investigated. Treatment of octyl 6-O-methyl-β-d-glucopyranoside with isobutyric anhydride in the presence of DMAP in toluene at −40 °C gave 3-O-isobutyryl derivative in >99% regioselectivity. Similar treatment of octyl 6-O-TBS-β-d-glucopyranoside at −20 °C also gave 3-O-isobutyryl derivative in >99% regioselectivity.     

Controllable Regioselective Acylation of Flavonoids Catalyzed by Lipase in Microreactors

A method for regioselective acylation of flavonoids (naringin and naringin dihydrochalcone) in a flow microreactor using Lipozyme TL IM from Thermomyces lanuginosus as the catalyst has been developed. The important features of this method include mild reaction conditions, short reaction times (30 min), high yields, and high regioselectivities.     

Regioselective reactivity of some 5,7-dimethoxyindoles

The reactivity of some 5,7-dimethoxyindoles with respect to electrophiles has been investigated. The favoured sites for reaction are C3 and C4 and regioselectivity can be controlled by the judicious arrangement of electron-withdrawing substituents. Results of formylation, acylation, the Mannich reaction, bromination and nitration are described.     

Regioselective O-acylation of myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoesters: dependence of regioselectivity on the stoichiometry of the base

A metal mediated unusual 1-3 acyl migration from C4-O to C2-OH of myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoformate was observed during the alkylation of racemic 4-O-benzoyl-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoformate. This has been exploited for the selective esterification of either the C4(6)-OH or the C2-OH of myo-inositol by varying the amount of the base used. While the use of 1 equiv of the base (sodium hydride or potassium tert-butoxide) for the acylation of myo-inositol orthoesters gives the corresponding C4-ester exclusively, the use of two or more equivalents of base for the same reaction gives the C2-ester exclusively. The relatively higher stability of the alkoxide of racemic 2-O-acyl-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoester as compared to the alkoxide of 4-O-acyl-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoester is suggested to be responsible for the observed isomerization.     

Synthesis of 3,5-dioxoalkanoates, 3,5-dioxopimelates and 2,4-dioxoadipates by acylation of 1,3-bis-silyl enol ethers

3,5-Dioxoalkanoates, 3,5-dioxopimelates and 2,4-dioxoadipates were prepared by acylation of 1,3-bis-silyl enol ethers with carboxylic chlorides, methyl 3-chloro-3-oxopropanoate and ethyl 2-chloro-2-oxoacetate, respectively.     

Regioselective enzymatic acylation of complex natural products: expanding molecular diversity

Enzymatic catalysis has become a common tool in both academia and industrial chemistry. The efforts of chemists over recent decades have led to the rationalization of the mechanism of action of biocatalysts, which have been routinely incorporated into many synthetic sequences. Nowadays, a further step consists in expanding the application of enzymes to the modification of complex molecular scaffolds common to many pharmaceutical leads isolated from nature. Regioselective enzymatic acylation is a process which has been profitably applied for this purpose in recent times, leading to new drugs with improved activity, stability and pharmacokinetic properties. This tutorial review provides an overview of this subject employing two classes of enzymes, hydrolases and acyltransferases, in the recently concluded decade although some representative older studies are commented upon, if required. We shall place special emphasis on those examples in which the novel acylated derivatives have improved the activity or properties of the parental molecules.     

Recent advances in chemoselective acylation of amines

N-chemoselective acylation of amines in the presence of competing nucleophiles, like alcohols and thiols, is by no means a simple achievement in organic synthesis and even more difficulties arise when distinctions between primary, secondary, and aromatic amines need to be made. The present digest will review some recent achievements in this field, ranging from transamidation reactions to carboxylic acid derivatives transacylations. In addition, more creative strategies, involving chemoenzymatic reactions and metal-catalyzed acylations and carbonylations, will be discussed in order to furnish a concise view of the state-of-the-art approaches to this synthetic challenge.     

Regioselective acylation of aminoresorcinarenes

The acid catalyzed hydrolytic cleavage of the oxazine rings in the readily available tetraoxazine derivatives of resorcinarenes results in tetraaminoresorcinarenes. A similar process applied to C₂-symmetrical bisoxazine resorcinarene tetratosylates affords C_2v-symmetrical resorcinarenediamines. The mild acylation of these resorcinareneamines with BOC-anhydride or para-nitrophenyl ester proceeds selectively at the nitrogen atoms without affecting the hydroxyl groups. Most of the resulting resorcinareneamides are thus obtained in preparative yields and can be easily purified by simple crystallizations. In the crystalline state the compounds obtained are found to bind chloride anions through hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions and to display a chiral arrangement of hydrogen bonded functional groups at the wide rim of the macrocycle.     

Highly efficient and enantioselective enzymatic acylation of amines in aqueous medium

A new strategy based on the unique catalytic properties, stability and enantioselectivity of the relatively unknown penicillin acylase from Alcaligenes faecalis has been developed for the effective and enantioselective acylation of amines in aqueous medium. In contrast to lipase-catalyzed acylations in organic solvents, the penicillin acylase-catalyzed acylation of amines in aqueous solution is a rapid and chemoselective process leading to a product which can subsequently be deacylated by the same enzyme, imposing secondary enantiocontrol and leading to effective resolution.     

A simple acylation of thiols with anhydrides

Different thiols were efficiently acylated at room temperature with different anhydrides in the presence of potassium carbonate. Chemoselective protection of thiol in the presence of hydroxy group was achieved using di-tert-butyl dicarbonate and isatoic anhydride.     

Alkylation and acylation of basic salts of anthranilic acid

The O-nucleophilicity of basic anthranilic acid salts was documented, analyzed, and utilized in synthesis. Specifically substitutions leading to esters instead of secondary amines, and formation of anthranilic acid anhydrides were studied.     

Amino acids as selective acylating agents: regioselective N-acylation of imidazolidin-4-one derivatives of the antimalarial drug primaquine

The acylation of bioactive primaquine-based imidazolidin-4-ones was studied using N^α-Boc-protected glycine as acylating agent. Two synthesis routes, eight different coupling methods and seven distinct solvents were compared. Mild carbodiimide-based couplings on high dielectric constant solvents such as DMF or MeCN increased acylation yields, whereas alcohols inhibited carbodiimide-mediated acylations to take place. Achievement of the synthetic goals was limited by the size of the imidazolidin-4-one ring substituents R¹, R² and R³, but resort to MW-assisted synthesis allowed overcoming such obstacle, though with very modest reaction yields. All reactions involving a Boc-protected amino acid were regioselective, independent of reaction conditions employed. In contrast, regioselective acetylation of the imidazolidin-4-ones could only be achieved by resort to very mild coupling procedures.     

Photoswitchable organocatalysis in acylation of alcohol using dithienylethene-linked azoles

Three novel dithienylethenes bearing azole derivatives were synthesized and found to undergo reversible photocyclization of the dithienylethene units upon alternate irradiation with UV and visible light. Among them, the dithienylethene-linked imidazole and N-phenylimidazole exhibited a relatively high organocatalytic activity for the acylation of 2-decanol with acetic anhydride, and the catalytic activity of the dithienylethene-linked imidazole could be switched by reversible photoinduced cyclization/cycloreversion of the dithienylethene unit.     

Regioselective enzymatic acylation of beta-L-2'-deoxynucleosides: application in resolution of beta-D/L-2'-deoxynucleosides

[reaction: see text] A practical synthesis of beta-L-3'- and beta-L-5'-O-levulinyl-2'-deoxynucleosides has been described for the first time through enzymatic acylation and/or hydrolysis processes. It is noteworthy that the different behavior exhibited by Pseudomonas cepacia lipase in the acylation of D- and L-nucleosides allows the parallel kinetic resolution of D/L-nucleosides.     

Zinc triflate catalyzed acylation of alcohols,phenols, and thiophenols

An expedient procedure for the acylation of alcohols, phenols, and thiophenols using catalytic amount of Zn(OTf)₂ is described. This procedure is highly suitable for industrial application due to use of less toxic metal as a part of catalyst, short reaction time at ambient temperature, without any racemization of chiral alcohols.     

Highly selective acylation of ferrocene using microfluidic chip reactor

A rapid and highly selective acylation of ferrocene with various acid anhydrides using microfluidic chip as the reactor is described. The pressure driven glass microreactor was fabricated by standard photolithography and wet etching techniques. High conversions of ferrocene to the corresponding acylferrocenes were achieved at 25 °C and no diacylferrocene was observed in any case.     

On the role of triflic acid in the metal triflate-catalysed acylation of alcohols

The acylation of alcohols by anhydrides, catalysed by a wide range of metal triflates, is a powerful and mild method for the preparation of a variety of esters. Mechanistic insights demonstrate that triflic acid is generated under these reaction conditions and that, at least, two competing catalytic cycles are operating at the same time: a rapid one involving triflic acid and a slower one involving the metal triflate.     

Regioselective alkanoylation of cyclodextrins

The regioselective transesterification of native α- and β-Cyclodextrins (CDs) with vinyl acetate and vinyl laurate is presented in this paper. The reactions were carried out in dimethyl sulfoxide by using low molecular weight salts (Na₂HPO₄ and NaCl, respectively). MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and NMR analysis were applied to investigate the chemical structure and the degree of the modification of the final products. Results show that these salts catalyze regioselective transesterification between β-CDs and vinyl laurate aiming for the secondary C-2 hydroxyl group. The synthesis and separation of β-CD-laurate derivatives leads to a mixture of mono-2-O-dodecanoyl-β-CD and native β-CDs. Unreacted β-CDs could be selectively removed enzymatically by cyclodextrin glucosyl-transferase (CGTase) and β-amylase.     

Regioselective acylation of ginsenosides by Novozyme 435

Ginsenosides from Panax species were acylated regioselectively by Novozyme 435 with vinyl acetate as the acetyl donor in organic solvents to afford mono-acyl ginsenosides.