Enantioselective synthesis of alpha-amino acids from N-tosyloxy beta-lactams derived from beta-keto esters

A novel synthetic sequence has been developed to convert simple beta-keto esters into enantiomerically enriched alpha-amino acids. The key features of this sequence include the addition of azide to the C3 position of beta-keto ester derived N-tosyloxy-beta-lactams through a concomitant nucleophilic addition/N-O bond reduction reaction, a mild CsF-induced N1 benzylation of alpha-azido monocyclic beta-lactams, the preparation of alpha-keto-beta-lactams through a novel four-step sequence from the corresponding 3-azido-1-benzyl-beta-lactams, and TEMPO-mediated ring expansion of these compounds to the corresponding N-carboxy anhydrides (NCAs). In addition, the synthesis, isolation, and characterization of unusual 3-imino and 3-chloramino-beta-lactams is reported.     

Synthesis of beta-lactams from diazoketones and imines: the use of microwave irradiation

[see reaction]. The transformation of diazoketones derived from alpha-amino acids to ketenes that, in turn, react further with imines to afford beta-lactams, can be realized not only by utilizing photochemical reaction conditions but also under the action of microwave irradiation. Under the latter reaction conditions 4-alkenyl-substituted beta-lactams derived from amino acids, substrates that were not previously accessible, have been prepared. beta-Lactams possessing a trans-substitution pattern at the ring were obtained exclusively.     

Generation of Threonine- and Azathreonine N-Carboxy Anhydrides from alpha-Hydroxy beta-Lactams Promoted by 2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxyl (TEMPO) in Combination with Sodium Hypochlorite

A versatile one-pot oxidation-Baeyer-Villiger reaction sequence applied to alpha-hydroxy beta-lactams and promoted by 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxyl (TEMPO) leads to alpha-amino acid N-carboxy anhydrides. The examples reported constitute the first application of TEMPO in a Baeyer-Villiger reaction and provide a way for peptide coupling from non alpha-amino acid precursors.     

A highly enantioselective route to either enantiomer of both alpha- and beta-amino acid derivatives

This report describes the unprecedented use of unmodified aldehydes as donors in a catalytic asymmetric Mannich-type reaction. The proline-catalyzed reaction of N-PMP-protected alpha-imino ethyl glyoxylate with unmodified aliphatic aldehydes provided a general and very mild entry to either enantiomer of beta-amino and alpha-amino acids and derivatives in high yield and stereoselectivity. Six of the seven aldehydes studied yielded products with ee values of 99% or greater. The diastereoselectivity of the reaction increased with the bulkiness of the substituents of the aldehyde donor in the order R = Me < Et < i-Pr < n-Pent. In five of the cases studied, excellent syn stereoselectivities were achieved. In addition, the corresponding chiral beta-amino aldehyde adducts can be readily converted to the corresponding amino acid derivatives. Most significantly, this approach provides facile access to substituted beta-lactams.     

Asymmetric synthesis of quaternary alpha- and beta-amino acids and beta-lactams via proline-catalyzed mannich reactions with branched aldehyde donors

[reaction: see text] L-Proline-catalyzed direct asymmetric Mannich reactions of N-PMP protected alpha-imino ethyl glyoxylate with various alpha,alpha-disubstituted aldehydes affords quaternary beta-formyl alpha-amino acid derivatives with excellent yields and enantioselectivities. The Mannich products are further converted to the corresponding quaternary alpha- and beta-amino acids and beta-lactams.     

Polypeptides and 100 years of chemistry of alpha-amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides

Syntheses and polymerizations of alpha-amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs) were reported for the first time by Hermann Leuchs in 1906. Since that time, these cyclic and highly reactive amino acid derivatives were used for stepwise peptide syntheses but mainly for the formation of polypeptides by ring-opening polymerizations. This review summarizes the literature after 1985 and reports on new aspects of the polymerization processes, such as the formation of cyclic polypeptides or novel organometal catalysts. Polypeptides with various architectures, such as diblock, triblock, and multiblock sequences, and star-shaped or dendritic structures are also mentioned. Furthermore, lyotropic and thermotropic liquid-crystalline polypeptides will be discussed and the role of polypeptides as drugs or drug carriers are reviewed. Finally, the hypothetical role of NCAs in molecular evolution on the prebiotic Earth is discussed.     

Regiochemistry of copper(I)-mediated cyclization reactions of halo-dienamides

Reaction of 2-substituted dienamides with catalytic amounts of copper halide/tripyridylamine (TPA) furnishes either 5-exo or 6-endo products with the outcome dependent upon the radical initiating unit. Reaction of 3-substituted dienamides produces beta-lactams via a 4-exo cyclization with termination of the reaction occurring via either halogen atom transfer, trapping with oxygen, elimination, or radical-radical coupling depending upon the diene.     

Trifluoroacetic anhydride-mediated solid-phase version of the Robinson-Gabriel synthesis of oxazoles

A traceless solid-phase synthesis of oxazoles 4 via Robinson-Gabriel reaction of solid-supported alpha-acylamino ketones 2 has been achieved. The reaction requires that the cyclization precursor be linked to a benzhydrylic-type linker (compounds 2) and that trifluoroacetic anhydride be used as the cyclodehydrating agent. The solvent has a dramatic effect on the latter reaction, which goes to completion and follows a cyclative-type mechanism only when an ethereal solvent is used. Different synthetic routes have been investigated toward assembling compounds 2. The most straightforward one, which we have validated more extensively, comprises the reaction of Merrifield alpha-methoxyphenyl (MAMP) resin with an alpha-amino ketone to form compounds 1, which are, in turn, acylated. Other methodologies and strategies allowing for the synthesis of compounds 1 that have been investigated include direct alkylation of Rink amide resin; reductive amination of the latter with alpha-keto aldehydes; reaction of MAMP resin with alpha-amino alcohols, followed by oxidation; and protection of Rink amide resin with either 2,4-dinitrosulfonyl or allyl group, followed by alkylation and removal of protecting group. In addition, we disclose a novel variant of the Ugi four-component reaction that allows for the preparation of compounds 2 in a single synthetic step.     

Highly enantioselective phase-transfer-catalyzed alkylation of protected alpha-amino acid amides toward practical asymmetric synthesis of vicinal diamines, alpha-amino ketones, and alpha-amino alcohols

Highly enantioselective alkylation of protected glycine diphenylmethyl (Dpm) amide 1 and Weinreb amide 10 has been realized under phase-transfer conditions by the successful utilization of designer chiral quaternary ammonium salts of type 4 as catalyst. Particularly, remarkable reactivity of the chiral ammonium enolate derived from 1b and 4c allowed the reaction with less reactive simple secondary alkyl halides with high efficiency and enantioselectivity. An additional unique feature of this chiral ammonium enolate is its ability to recognize the chirality of beta-branched primary alkyl halides, which provides impressive levels of kinetic resolution and double stereodifferentiation during the alkylation, allowing for two alpha- and gamma-stereocenters to be controlled. Combined with the subsequent reduction using LiAlH4 in cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME), this system offers a facile access to structurally diverse optically active vicinal diamines. Furthermore, the optically active alpha-amino acid Weinreb amide 11 can be efficiently converted to the corresponding amino ketone by a simple treatment with Grignard reagents. In addition, reduction and alkylation of the optically active alpha-amino ketone into both syn and anti alpha-amino alcohols with almost complete relative and absolute stereochemical control have been achieved. With (S,S)- and (R,R)-4 in hand, the present approach renders both enantiomers of alpha-amino amides including Weinreb amides readily available with enormous structural variation and also establishes a general and practical route to vicinal diamines, alpha-amino ketones, and alpha-amino alcohols with the desired stereochemistry.     

Preparation of fluoroalkyl imines, amines, enamines, ketones, alpha-amino carbonyls, and alpha-amino acids from primary enamine phosphonates

A simple method for preparation of fluoroalkyl beta-enaminophosphonates 1 from alkylphosphonates 2 and perfluoroalkyl nitriles 3 is reported. Olefination reaction of functionalized phosphates 1 with aldehydes gives alpha,beta-unsaturated imines 5. Acid hydrolysis of these fluoroalkyl derivatives 5 affords alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones 6, while their selective reduction with hydrides leads to the formation of allylamines 7, enamines 8, and saturated ketones 9 or amines 10. Selective oxidative cleavage of the carbon-carbon double bond of allylamines 7 gives fluorinated alpha-amino aldehydes 12, alpha-amino ketones 13, or alpha-amino acid derivatives 14.     

Convenient and useful synthesis of N‐carboxyanhydride monomers through selective cyclization of urethane derivatives of α‐amino acids

A new convenient synthesis of N‐carboxyanhydrides (NCAs) of α‐amino acids was achieved by selective cyclization of urethane derivatives of α‐amino acids. The urethanes were readily synthesized via N‐carbamoylation of α‐amino acids by bis(4‐nitrophenyl)carbonate quantitatively. These urethanes having 4‐nitrophenoxy moiety were tolerant to air and moisture to allow their facile purification and storage. When the obtained urethanes were heated in 2‐butanone at 60 °C, they underwent the selective cyclization via intramolecular nucleophilic attack of the carboxyl moiety to the urethane moiety with releasing 4‐nitrophenol, leading to the successful formation of the corresponding NCAs. Addition of carboxylic acids remarkably stabilized the formed NCAs during the reaction, allowing their isolation in high yields. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 3839–3844, 2009     

Stereoselective Synthesis of 3-Substituted 4-(Formyloxy)-2-azetidinones by the Unusual Baeyer-Villiger Reaction of beta-Lactam Aldehydes. Scope and Synthetic Applications

The Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of 4-formyl-beta-lactams 1with m-CPBA gave 4-(formyloxy) beta-lactams 2 in a simple, efficient, and totally stereoselective process. This reaction is one of the scarce examples of the preferred migration of a carbon moiety in an aliphatic aldehyde. The influence of the substituents at N1 and C3 of the four-membered ring in the Baeyer-Villiger rearrangement has been studied. Thus, alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, and alkyloxy 3-substituted-1-(p-anisyl)-2-azetidinones 1 form exclusively 4-(formyloxy) beta-lactams 2. Amide or acetoxy substituents at C3 of the four-membered ring produce mixtures of 4-(formyloxy) beta-lactams 2and 4-carboxy beta-lactams 5. The exclusive formation of carboxy derivatives is observed sometimes for 1-alkyl-substituted-2-azetidinones 1. 4-(Formyloxy) beta-lactams 2 are suitable starting materials to prepare different 4-unsubstituted beta-lactams 9 using beta-hydroxy amides 8 as isolable intermediates. The overall transformation 4-formyl-2-azetidinone to 4-unsubstituted beta-lactam is an easy and convenient stereoselective route to these interesting types of compounds.     

1,2-cyclic sulfamidates as versatile precursors to thiomorpholines and piperazines

[reaction: see text] 1,2-Cyclic sulfamidates undergo regiospecific nucleophilic displacement with either methyl thioglycolate or alpha-amino esters, followed by lactamization (thermal, base-mediated, or cyanide-catalyzed), to give thiomorpholin-3-ones and piperazin-2-ones.     

An anionic nucleophilic catalyst system for the diastereoselective synthesis of trans-beta-lactams

Trans-disubstituted beta-lactams show increasing utility and prominence in numerous pharmaceutical applications, making their asymmetric synthesis an attractive goal for chemists. We introduce an anionic, nucleophilic catalyst system that provides an efficient, diastereoselective route to trans-disubstituted beta-lactams, a complement to our previously described catalytic methodology for generating the corresponding cis diastereomers. This catalytic, "switch mechanism" process allows for flexibility in the stereoselective synthesis of beta-lactams, producing either cis or trans products as desired from the same substrates. [reaction: see text]     

Improved peptide detection with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry by trimethylation of amino groups

Trimethyl alpha-amino derivatives of peptides (penta to deca) with a permanent positive charge on their alpha-amino groups were prepared by in vacuo reaction with iodomethane and subjected to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). Compared to the unmodified peptide, the signal intensity of the trimethyl alpha-amino derivative in MALDI-MS is increased by at least an order of magnitude. Similarly, an octapeptide with a trimethylated epsilon-amino group derived from the solitary lysine residue of the B-chain of insulin also shows the same relative increase in signal intensity. Another advantage of the in vacuo methylation procedure is that trimethylation of a peptide amino group can be carried out readily with a combination of isotopes (13)CH(3)I and (12)CH(3)I or CD(3)I and CH(3)I, yielding a doublet signal either 3 or 9 units apart, respectively. The presence or absence of such a doublet signal can be used as a criterion to discriminate between peptide and non-peptide signals in the mass spectrum.     

Intramolecular [4 + 2] cycloadditions of iminoacetonitriles: a new class of azadienophiles for hetero Diels-Alder reactions

Iminoacetonitriles participate as reactive dienophiles in stereoselective intramolecular hetero Diels-Alder reactions which afford substituted quinolizidines. The cycloadduct with exo-oriented cyano group is obtained as the major or exclusive product of the reaction as a consequence of the alpha-amino nitrile anomeric effect The alpha-amino nitrile moieties incorporated in the cycloadducts constitute latent iminium ions, which upon exposure to mild protic or Lewis acids are unmasked, setting the stage for further useful synthetic transformations. For example, reductive decyanation with NaBH3CN excises the cyano group, while Bruylants reaction with Grignard reagents and acetylides lead to alpha-substituted amines. The substrates for these [4 + 2] cycloadditions are prepared from readily available alcohols via a Mitsunobu coupling reaction with the previously unknown, easily prepared reagent HN(Tf)CH2CN followed by cesium carbonate promoted elimination of trifluoromethanesulfinate.     

Electron-transfer mechanism in the N-demethylation of N,N-dimethylanilines by the phthalimide-N-oxyl radical

The reactivity of the phthalimide N-oxyl radical (PINO) toward the N-methyl C-H bond of a number of 4-X-substituted N,N-dimethylanilines (X = OMe, OPh, CF(3), CO(2)Et, CN) has been investigated by product and kinetic analysis. PINO was generated in CH(3)CN by reaction of N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) with Pb(OAc)(4) or, for the kinetic study of the most reactive substrates (X = OMe, OPh), with tert-butoxyl radical produced by 266 nm laser flash photolysis of di-tert-butyl peroxide. The reaction was found to lead to the N-demethylation of the N,N-dimethylaniline with a rate very sensitive to the electron donating power of the substituent (rho(+) = -2.5) as well as to the oxidation potential of the substrates. With appropriately deuterated N,N-dimethylanilines the intermolecular and intramolecular deuterium kinetic isotope effects (DKIEs) were measured for some substrates (X = OMe, CO(2)Et, CN) with the following results. First, intramolecular DKIE [(k(H)/k(D))(intra)] was found to be always different and higher than intermolecular DKIE [(k(H)/k(D))(inter)]; second, no intermolecular DKIE [(k(H)/k(D))(inter) = 1] was observed for X = OMe, whereas substantial values of (k(H)/k(D))(inter) were exhibited by X = CO(2)Et (4.8) and X = CN (5.8). These results, while are incompatible with a single step hydrogen atom transfer from the N-C-H bond to the N-oxyl radical, as proposed for the reaction of PINO with benzylic C-H bonds, can be nicely interpreted on the basis of a two-step mechanism involving a reversible electron transfer from the aniline to PINO leading to an anilinium radical cation, followed by a proton-transfer step that produces an alpha-amino carbon radical. In line with this conclusion the reactivity data exhibited a good fit with the Marcus equation and a lambda value of 37.6 kcal mol(-1) was calculated for the reorganization energy required in this electron-transfer process. From this value, a quite high reorganization energy (>60 kcal mol(-1)) is estimated for the PINO/NHPI(-H)(-) self-exchange reaction. It is suggested that the N-demethylated product derives from the reaction of the alpha-amino carbon radical with PINO to form either a cross-coupling product or an alpha-amino carbocation. Both species may react with the small amounts of H(2)O present in the medium to form a carbinolamine that, again by hydrolysis, can be eventually converted into the N-demethylated product.     

Imidazole-based potential Bi- and tridentate nitrogen ligands: synthesis, characterization and application in asymmetric catalysis

Twelve new imidazole-based potential bi- and tridentate ligands were synthesized and characterized. Whereas in the first series the alpha-amino acid and imidazole moieties were linked by an amino bond, in the second series the tridentate ligands, containing two imidazole groups, were separated by an amide bond. The first series was obtained by the reductive amination of 2-phenylimidazole-4-carboxaldehyde with alpha-amino acid esters. The tridentate ligands were prepared from 2-phenylimidazole-4-carboxylic acid and chiral amines. In the Henry reaction, the amines were revealed as a more reactive species than the less nucleophilic amides, however the enantiomeric excesses were generally poor.     

Spiro beta-lactams as beta-turn mimetics. Design, synthesis, and NMR conformational analysis

Molecular modeling calculations using high-level ab initio methods (MP2/6-31+G) of a new type of spiro beta-lactams predict that these systems could adopt a beta-turn secondary structure in solution. Strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds stabilize the beta-turn conformation with a geometry that is very close to the ideal type II beta-turns. The synthesis of the spiro beta-lactams is achieved by Staudinger reaction of a cyclic ketene derived from N-bencyloxycarbonyl-L-proline acid chloride with an imine. This reaction allows the formation of the spiranic backbone in a single-step with high diastereoselectivity and good yields. The new spiro beta-lactams obtained are the core for the preparation of different types of peptidomimetics using well-established peptide chemistry. The NMR conformational analysis shows that these compounds adopt beta-turn conformation as predicted by the theoretical studies.     

Enantioselective benzoylation of alpha-amino esters using (S)-1-benzoyl-2- (alpha-acetoxyethyl)benzimidazole, a chiral benzimidazolide

A new chiral benzimidazolide is developed as a nonenzymatic acylating agent for enantioselective benzoylation of racemic alpha-amino esters. The process is highly efficient, which exhibits uniformly high enantioselectivity for alpha-amino esters with or without aryl substituents under mild reaction conditions. The chiral benzimidazolide is inexpensive and is easily accessible.