One-pot synthesis of β-amino acid derivatives from α-amino acids

The one-pot transformation of α-amino acid into β-amino acid derivatives is described. The application of this method to the synthesis of modified dipeptides was also illustrated.     

Enantioselective synthesis of non-natural aromatic alpha-amino acids

We present two complementary methods for the stereoselective synthesis of non-natural alpha-amino acids with aromatic or heteroaromatic side chains. One approach is based on the chemical transformation of methionine, whereas the other applies the stereoselective Myers alkylation of glycine. The resulting product types differ in the linker length between glycine and the aromatic substituent. Since methionine and pseudoephedrine are available in both absolute configurations, R- or S-configured enantiopure amino acids with either C(2) or C(3) linkers can be obtained on gram scales. In each case the key step of the synthesis is hydroboration of the unsaturated building blocks 9 and 17, followed by palladium-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling with aryl halides. Attention must in certain cases be paid to the stereochemical integrity when basic Suzuki conditions are applied. Our initial difficulties are reported as well as the final "racemization-proof" procedures. The protecting groups chosen for the alpha-amino acids should be compatible with solid-phase peptide synthesis. This was confirmed by the successful synthesis of a series of tripeptides.     

A concise synthesis of glycosyl-α-amino acid derivatives via homologation of dialdoses into bromo uronic acids and esters

The synthesis of the compounds of the title involves three steps from dialdoses. The reaction between potassium dibromoacetonitrile carbanion and protected dialdoses provides corresponding β-bromo-α-ketonitriles that are easily transformed into α-bromo esters by treatment with methanol or isopropanol or α-bromo acids by treatment with t-BuOH. Substitution of the bromine by sodium azide onto these last compounds and subsequent catalytic hydrogenation of the azide group afford the targeted glycosyl-α-amino acid derivatives. This methodology represents the most rapid access to the key α-amino acid moiety of polyoxins.     

Solution-, solid-phase, and fluorous synthesis of beta,beta-difluorinated cyclic quaternary alpha-amino acid derivatives: a comparative study

The diastereoselective synthesis of cyclic beta,beta-difluorinated alpha-amino acid derivatives bearing a quaternary stereocenter is described. The process relies on the chemo- and diastereoselective addition of allylic organometallic reagents to fluorinated alpha-imino esters and a subsequent ring-closing metathesis reaction (RCM). Complete selectivity in the nucleophilic addition was achieved with (R)-phenylglycinol methyl ether as a chiral auxiliary. The resulting amino acids were introduced into peptide chains, which could facilitate the preparation of potentially bioactive dipeptide derivatives. In addition, the solution synthesis of these cyclic fluorinated alpha-amino acids was successfully adapted to solid-phase and fluorous-phase techniques. The reaction times and final deprotection were clearly more favorable in the latter, in which a fluorous trimethylsilylethanol (TMSE) tag was used. The tag was then easily removed upon treatment with TBAF in a high-yield transesterification process.     

Asymmetric synthesis of beta2-amino acids: 2-substituted-3-aminopropanoic acids from N-acryloyl SuperQuat derivatives

Conjugate addition of lithium dibenzylamide to (S)-N(3)-acryloyl-4-isopropyl-5,5-dimethyloxazolidin-2-one (derived from l-valine) and alkylation of the resultant lithium beta-amino enolate provides, after deprotection, a range of (S)-2-alkyl-3-aminopropanoic acids in good yield and high ee. Alternatively, via a complementary pathway, conjugate addition of a range of secondary lithium amides to (S)-N(3)-(2'-alkylacryloyl)-4-isopropyl-5,5-dimethyloxazolidin-2-ones, diastereoselective protonation with 2-pyridone, and subsequent deprotection furnishes a range of (R)-2-alkyl- and (R)-2-aryl-3-aminopropanoic acids in good yield and high ee. Additionally, the boron-mediated aldol reaction of beta-amino N-acyl oxazolidinones is a highly diastereoselective method for the synthesis of a range of beta-amino-beta'-hydroxy N-acyl oxazolidinones.     

Highly enantioselective fluorescent recognition of α-amino acid derivatives

Bisbinaphthyl-based macrocycles are found to carry out enantioselective fluorescent recognition of α-amino acid derivatives. It is observed that one enantiomer of a N-protected phenyl glycine can increase the fluorescence intensity of the binaphthyl fluorophores by over 4-fold but the other enantiomer does not cause much fluorescence enhancement. This highly enantioselective fluorescent response makes the binaphthyl macrocycles practically useful for the enantioselective fluorescent recognition of the amino acid substrate.     

Synthesis and reactions of silicon containing cyclic α-amino acid derivatives

A simple synthesis of a new amino acid derivative 5,6-bis(trimethylsilyl)indanylglycine via cobalt mediated [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition strategy is described. Co-trimerization of diyne building block containing amino acid moiety with bis(trimethylsilyl)acetylene in presence of CpCo(CO)₂ catalyst afforded the silylated indane-based α-amino acid (AAA) derivative. Electrophilic aromatic substitution reaction, ipso to the trimethylsilyl group gave highly functionalised indane-based AAA derivatives.     

Cycloaddition approach to benzo-annulated indane-based α-amino acid derivatives

Synthesis of various benzo-annulated indane-based α-amino acid (AAA) derivatives are reported via a [4+2] and [2+2+2] cycloaddition reactions as key steps. Here, o-xylylene based AAA moiety has been used as a reactive intermediate and by adopting this strategy various indane-based constrained AAA derivatives are prepared.     

Efficient synthesis of beta2-amino acid by homologation of alpha-amino acids involving the Reformatsky reaction and Mannich-type imminium electrophile

Development of new methods for the synthesis of beta-amino acids is important as polymers of these compounds are promising peptidomimetic candidates in medicinal chemistry. We report here our findings on a new and highly efficient general strategy for the synthesis of beta2-amino acids by homologation of alpha-amino acids, involving the Reformatsky reaction and Mannich-type imminium electrophile.     

Expedient synthesis of a novel class of pseudoaromatic amino acids: tetrahydroindazol-3-yl- and tetrahydrobenzisoxazol-3-ylalanine derivatives

A concise synthesis of novel homochiral aromatic amino acid surrogates comprising a tetrahydroindazole or a benzisoxazole system was developed via the acylation of a cyclic 1,3-diketone by the side-chain carboxyl functionality of either Boc-Asp-OtBu or Boc-Glu-OtBu followed by regioselective condensation with hydrazine, N-benzylhydrazine and hydroxylamine. The tetrahydroindazole nucleus was also constructed by the condensation of Boc-Asp-OtBu with the enamine, 1-pyrrolidino-1-cyclohexene followed by acid-hydrolytic treatment and reaction with hydrazines. Further functional group transformations gave N^α-Fmoc-protected derivatives as useful building blocks for solid-phase peptide assembly.     

One-pot synthesis of α-amino phosphonates from α-amino acids and β-amino alcohols

The one-pot radical fragmentation-phosphorylation reaction of α-amino acids and β-amino alcohols affords α-amino phosphonates in good yields. The reaction was applied to the synthesis of potentially bioactive phosphonates.     

Solid-phase synthesis of "mixed" peptidomimetics using Fmoc-protected aza-beta3-amino acids and alpha-amino acids

[structure: see text] A solid-phase fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-based synthesis strategy is described for "mixed" aza-beta3-peptides as well as a convenient general approach for their required building blocks, the aza-beta3-amino acid residues (aza-beta3-aa). These monomers allow the synthesis of relatively large quantities of pure mixed aza-beta3-peptides. The required Fmoc-substituted aza-beta3-amino acids are accessible by convenient synthesis, and a number of monomers including those containing side chains with functional groups have been synthesized. The method was applied toward the solid-phase synthesis of aza-beta3-peptide mimetics of a biologically active histone H4 sequence.     

Asymmetric synthesis of new beta,beta-difluorinated cyclic quaternary alpha-amino acid derivatives

The synthesis of new beta,beta-difluorinated cyclic quaternary alpha-amino acid derivatives 1 in which a ring-closing metathesis reaction (RCM) constitutes the key step is described. The approach employs imidoyl chlorides 3 as fluorinated building blocks, and the overall process involves the stereoselective creation of a quaternary stereocenter. Complete selectivity was achieved when (R)-phenylglycinol methyl ether was used as chiral auxiliary, allowing for the preparation of new six-membered cyclic fluorinated alpha-amino acids as single enantiomers.     

Novel synthesis of alpha-trifluoromethylated alpha-amino acid derivatives from gamma-hydroxy-alpha-fluoro-alpha-trifluoromethyl carboxamides

On treatment with an organoaluminum reagent such as trimethylaluminum or DIBAL-H, gamma-hydroxy-alpha-fluoro-alpha-trifluoromethyl carboxamides (1) give a single diastereomer of alpha-amino-alpha-trifluoromethyl-gamma-lactones (2), which are a ring-closed form of gamma-hydroxy-alpha-trifluoromethyl-alpha-amino acids. This intriguing reaction results from intramolecular replacement of the fluorine atom on the alpha-carbon atom with the nitrogen atom of the amide group, which occurs in an SN2 manner. [reaction: see text]     

An efficient synthesis of γ-amino β-ketoester by cross-Claisen condensation with α-amino acid derivatives

Cross-ester condensation between N-protected amino acid ester and the lithium enolate prepared from alkyl acetate gave the corresponding β-ketoester in high yield without the formation of the tertiary alcohol that is commonly seen as by-product. This interesting reaction is applicable to the amino acid derivatives with suitable N-protecting groups, which can help to stabilize the reaction intermediates.     

Efficient, practical synthesis of symmetrically α,α-disubstituted α-amino acids

Ni(II)-complex derived from glycine Schiff base with 2-[N-(α-picolyl)amino]benzophenone (PABP) was found to be an ideal equivalent of nucleophilic glycine in the reactions with various alkyl halides affording an efficient, generalized and practically useful method for preparing symmetrically α,α-disubstituted α-amino acids.