Microbial deracemization of alpha-substituted carboxylic acids

An enzyme system of Nocardia diaphanozonaria JCM 3208 catalyzes the inversion of the chirality of various alpha-substituted carboxylic acids, such as 2-phenylpropanoic acid and 2-phenoxypropanoic acid derivatives, via a novel deracemization reaction.     

Copper(II)-mediated resolution of alpha-halo carboxylic acids with chiral O,O'-dibenzoyltartaric acid: spontaneous racemization and crystallization-induced dynamic resolution

Herein we present a new example of coordination-mediated resolution of racemic acids by a chiral acid. The reaction of copper(II) acetate monohydrate, optically pure O,O'-dibenzoyltartaric acid (DBTA) and racemic alpha-bromo-2-chlorophenylacetic acid (HL1) in acetonitrile solution afforded a binuclear copper(II) complex with D-DBTA dianion, alpha-bromo-2-chlorophenylacetate and acetate as ligands. After decomposition of the complex with acid, the optically active acid ((R)-HL1) was obtained. Similarly, alpha-bromo-2-fluorophenylacetic acid (HL2), alpha-bromo-2-bromophenylacetic acid (HL3), alpha-chloro-2-chlorophenylacetic acid (HL4), alpha-chloro-2-fluorophenylacetic acid (HL5), alpha-bromophenylacetic acid (HL6), alpha-bromo-4-chlorophenylacetic acid (HL7), 2-bromopropionic acid (HL8) and 2-chloropropionic acid (HL9) were resolved by the same method. Satisfactory results were obtained for HL2 to HL5. For HL6 and HL7, only racemic acids were obtained. For the two alpha-halo aliphatic acids (HL8 and HL9), poor enantioselectivity was obtained. It is more interesting that three acids (HL1, HL2 and HL3) could spontaneously racemize in acetonitrile solution, which resulted in crystallization-induced dynamic resolution (CIDR) with greater than 50% yield.     

Microbial deracemization of alpha-substituted carboxylic acids: substrate specificity and mechanistic investigation

A new enzymatic method for the preparation of optically active alpha-substituted carboxylic acids is reported. This technique is called deracemization reaction, which provides us with a route to obtain the enantiomerically pure compounds, theoretically in 100% yield starting from the racemic mixture. This means that the synthesis of a racemate is almost equal to the synthesis of the optically active compound, and this concept is entirely different from the commonly accepted one in the asymmetric synthesis. Using the growing cell system of Nocardia diaphanozonaria JCM3208, racemates of 2-aryl- and 2-aryloxypropanoic acid are deracemized smoothly and (R)-form-enriched products are recovered in high chemical yield (>50%). In addition, using optically active starting compounds and deuterated derivatives as well as inhibitors, we have disclosed the fact that a new type of enzyme takes part in this biotransformation, and that the reaction proceeds probably via the same mechanism as that in rat liver.     

Efficient allylation of aldehydes promoted by carboxylic acids

A variety of carboxylic acids have been screened for mediating the allylation of aldehydes with allytributyltin in different solvents. A novel, general, and practical method of allylation of aldehydes promoted by carboxylic acids under mild reaction conditions has been developed. Among them, p-nitrobenzoic acid afforded high to quantitative yields of the homoallylic alcohol products, and can be easily recovered after workup by aqueous HCl. Glyoxylic acid self-catalyzed the allylation without adding any other promoter or catalyst to give the corresponding allylation product in good yield. The regioselectivity of the crotylation of aldehydes is tunable by controlling the acidity of the carboxylic acids. The crotylation of aldehydes produced the alpha-adduct as major products in moderate to good yields with CF(3)CO(2)H as a promoter. A possible mechanism for the allylation is also discussed.     

Unfunctionalized,alpha-epimerizable nonracemic ketones and aldehydes can be accessed by crystallization-induced dynamic resolution of imines

This paper describes an operationally simple deracemization process of aldehydes and ketones. This new crystallization-induced dynamic resolution (CIDR) protocol allows for nearly complete conversion of the racemic mixture into one enantiomer. Crystallization of imines derived from racemic ketones or aldehydes 1 and trans-(1R,2R)-1-amino-6-nitroindan-2-ol (2) afforded diastereomerically pure, crystalline imines 3. Biphasic hydrolysis of 3 then affords recovered 2 and enantiomerically enriched 1 in high yield and er (substrate, yield/ee: 2-methylcyclohexanone, 97%/92; 2-ethylhexanal, 94%/98; 2-methylcyclopentanone, 94%/98; 2-cyclohexylcyclohexanone, ND/98; 3-methyl-2-pentanone, ND/76). The scope, limitations, and industrial perspective of this process are discussed. This highly effective CIDR process is likely due to pi-stacking of 2 and a hydrogen bonding of the imine with the free hydroxyl of 2 in the solid state.     

Efficient and one-pot synthesis of novel sulfamates from carboxylic acids

Effective synthesis of novel sulfamates from various carboxylic acids has been developed in the presence of chlorosulfonyl isocyanate (CSI) in mild conditions. Several acids, bases and solvents effects were investigated for one-pot synthesis sulfamates as a catalyst. Finally, triflic acid was found to possess efficiently under optimized conditions in acetonitrile. This method is easy, fair price and practical. It can be synthesized on grams and milligrams scale.     

Kinetic resolution of racemic alcohols with chiral carboxylic acids and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide

The DCC-esterification method has been used to kinetically resolve racemic mixtures of alcohols. With simple chiral carboxylic acids, such as O-aryl lactic acids, in the presence of various basic catalysts, mixtures of the enantiomerically enriched alcohols (e.e. <50%) and the corresponding esters (d.e.<70%) have been obtained.     

Efficient esterification of carboxylic acids and phosphonic acids with trialkyl orthoacetate in ionic liquid

An operationally simple, inexpensive, efficient, and environmentally friendly esterification of various carboxylic acids, phosphonic acids, and phosphinic acids with triethyl orthoacetate or trimethyl orthoacetate under neutral conditions in a typical room temperature ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, was successfully carried out to provide the corresponding ethyl esters or methyl esters in high yields.     

Efficient photolytic esterification of carboxylic acids with alcohols in perhalogenated methane

Condensation of carboxylic acids and alcohols to give esters was accomplished with selectivity under photolytic conditions in 66-99% yields by use of CCl₄ or BrCCl₃ at room temperature.     

Efficient condensation of carboxylic acids with alcohols catalyzed by fluorous ammonium triflates

The use of fluorous ammonium salts as metal-free catalysts for the direct condensation of equimolar amounts of carboxylic acids and aliphatic alcohols has been investigated. Esterification reactions were thus conveniently carried out under mild fluorous biphasic conditions, in the presence of 1 mol % of fluorous ammonium triflate and without recourse to any additional water removal technique. Good to excellent ester yields were obtained in the case of primary and secondary aliphatic alcohols. The fluorous salt was easily recovered by simple phase separation and reused at least three times without considerable loss of activity.     

Synthesis, optical resolution and absolute configuration of inherently chiral calixarene carboxylic acids

Both enantiomers of inherently chiral calixarene carboxylic acids with ABCD substitution patterns have been prepared by the benzoylation of 25-propoxy-27-(R)-N-(α-phenylethyl)amidomethyloxycalix[4]arene followed by resolution of the diastereomers formed, monobromination of them and removal of the benzoyl and α-phenylethylamide auxiliary groups. The absolute configuration of the calixarenes obtained has been established by X-ray analysis. Preliminary study of the chiral recognition properties of calixarene carboxylic acid was performed.     

Kinetic resolution of racemic carboxylic acids by an L-histidine-derived sulfonamide-induced enantioselective esterification reaction

The direct and catalytic kinetic resolution of racemic carboxylic acids bearing a Br?nsted base such as O-protected alpha-hydroxy carboxylic acids and N-protected alpha-amino acids has been accomplished through an L-histidine-derived sulfonamide-induced enantioselective esterification reaction with tert-butyl alcohol for the first time. Highly asymmetric induction [S( k fast/ k slow) = up to 56] has been achieved under the equilibrium between a chiral catalyst and two diastereomeric acylammonium salts through an intramolecular hydrogen-bonding interaction.     

Efficient NMR chiral discrimination of carboxylic acids using rhombamine macrocycles as chiral shift reagent

Chiral rhombamine macrocycles 1a-b were prepared by a [2+2]cyclocondensation reaction of (R,R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane with corresponding dialdehydes and were found to be useful as NMR chiral shift reagents for the determination of enantiomeric purity and the absolute configuration of a wide range of carboxylic acid and amino acid derivatives.     

Manifestation of felkin-anh control in enantioselective acyl transfer catalysis: kinetic resolution of carboxylic acids

Under control: The classical polar Felkin-Anh model has been applied for the first time to the analysis of diastereoselectivity in acylation reactions. Computational studies demonstrate that stereoelectronic effects control the enantioselectivity in asymmetric catalytic alcoholysis of acyclic anhydrides.     

A reactivity/affinity switch for parallel kinetic resolution: alpha-amino acid quasienantiomers and the resolution of cyclopropene carboxylic acids

A new type of parallel kinetic resolution (PKR) is reported in which quasienantiomers with very similar reactivities give products whose chromatographic properties diverge upon the addition of fluoride. This concept of a reactivity/affinity switch is applied to the PKR of cyclopropene carboxylic acids with all-carbon quaternary centers. This is the first application of alpha-amino acid quasienantiomers in PKR, and it is a complementary approach for acyltransfer systems where the asymmetry is induced by the nucleophile rather than the leaving group. Excellent diastereoselectivities (ranging from 90:10 to 99.5:5) and good yields were obtained for both quasienantiomeric products, and the reactions can be run on significant scale because the separation is trivial. High-level DFT calculations (B3LYP functional with the 6-31+G(d,p) basis set) provided transition-state structures with relative energies that are in accord with the experimental observations.     

Esterification of polymeric carboxylic acids

Polymers containing pendant carboxyl groups have been essentially completely esterified with little apparent change in molecular weight by the use of one of the following reagents: (1) trialkyl orthoesters, (2) dimethylformamide dialkyl acetals, (3) tertiary amines followed by alkyl halides, (4) quaternary ammonium hydroxide followed by alkyl halides. The use of some of these methods permits preparation of certain polymers that were previously not readily accessible.