Synthesis of the antiepileptic (R)-Stiripentol by a combination of lipase catalyzed resolution and alkene metathesis

The enantiopure (ee >99%) antiepileptic (R)-(+)-Stiripentol has been stereoselectively synthesized via cross metathesis of 5-vinylbenzo[d][1,3]dioxole 1 and (R)-(+)-4,4-dimethylpent-1-en-3-ol (R)-(+)-2. A novel one-pot two-step pathway for the synthesis of 5-vinylbenzo[d][1,3]dioxole 1 starting from 3,4-dihydroxycinnamic acid has been introduced. A lipase catalyzed kinetic resolution access to enantiopure (R)-(+)-4,4-dimethylpent-1-en-3-ol (R)-(+)-2 (ee >99%) has also been developed.     

A lipase catalyzed condensation reaction with a tricyclic diketone: yet another example of biocatalytic promiscuity

Novozym 435 (a commercially available immobilized form of Candida antarctica lipase B) was found to catalyze a condensation reaction of 5-hydroxy-endo-tricyclo[5.2.1.0^2,6]deca-4,8-dien-3-one with acetaldehyde (enzymatically produced from vinyl acetate in situ) under low water conditions, in presence of 10% organic co-solvent (N,N-dimethyl formamide or pyridine), to form a bis-adduct. Even though the condensation reaction occurred with pyridine (acting as a base catalyst) in the presence of acetaldehyde and in the absence of enzyme, the reaction was very slow as compared to the enzymatic process. Thus, while the non-enzymatic process took 4 days to achieve 100% conversion; in presence of enzyme it was possible within 4 h.     

Highly regioselective propanoylation of dihydroxybenzenes mediated by Candida antarctica lipase B in organic solvents

Candida antarctica lipase B (CAL-B) was found to be a highly active biocatalyst for the direct acylation of the phenolic hydroxyls of substituted hydroquinones and resorcinols with vinyl propanoate as an acyl donor. The acylation reactions took place generally in a very regioselective manner. Especially in the case of 4-substituted resorcinols, the hydroxyl remote from the substituent was regiospecifically acylated to afford only the 1-O-propanoylated resorcinols.     

On the use of succinic anhydride as acylating agent for practical resolution of aryl-alkyl alcohols through lipase-catalyzed acylation

A comparison is carried out of the E-values recorded in the lipase-catalyzed resolution of a series of secondary aryl-alkyl alcohols with enol esters versus succinic anhydride. Whereas all the substrates could be resolved by a proper choice of the lipase/enol ester couple with moderate (E=50) to good (E>100) enantioselectivities, only some of them showed satisfactory enantioselectivity (E>50) with the use of succinic acid as acylating agent. Notably, indanol and 1-quinolin-3-yl-ethanol were resolved in a practical way, with E>100 and E>80, respectively.     

Synthesis of (+)-anatoxin-a using enyne metathesis

Synthesis of N-tosylanatoxin-a was achieved by metathesis of enyne in cis-substituents on a pyrrolidine derivative. Metathesis reactions of enyne having terminal alkyne using various ruthenium-carbene complexes did not give a good results. However, when the terminal alkyne was protected with a TMS group, the reaction proceeded smoothly using a second-generation ruthenium-carbene complex to give the desired cyclized compound in high yield. Oxymercuration followed by Dess-Martin oxidation afforded N-tosylanatoxin-a.     

Candida antarctica lipase B-catalyzed synthesis of acetamides using [BMIm(PF6)] as a reaction medium

An efficient protocol has been developed for synthesis of acetamides using Candida antarctica lipase B (CaL B) in [BMIm(PF₆)] as a greener reaction medium. The reaction is applicable to a wide variety of aliphatic esters/acetic acid and amines providing excellent yields of corresponding acetamide. The catalyst exhibits remarkable activity and is reusable for up to four consecutive cycles.     

Stereoselective synthesis of tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids: (−)-trolline, (+)-crispin A, (+)-oleracein E

Tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids, (S)-(−)-trolline, (R)-(+)-crispin A, and (R)-(+)-oleracein E, have been synthesized stereoselectively from the both enantiomers of common intermediate (S)-4 and (R)-4. The key step in the synthesis include a stereoselective Bi(OTf)₃-catalyzed intramolecular 1,3-chirality transfer reaction of chiral non-racemic amino allylic alcohols (S)-6 and (R)-6 to construct both enantiomers of (E)-1-propenyl tetrahydroisoquinoline 4.     

Concise asymmetric synthesis of (−)-halosaline and (2R,9aR)-(+)-2-hydroxy-quinolizidine by ruthenium-catalyzed ring-rearrangement metathesis

A ruthenium-catalyzed ring opening-ring closing metathesis reaction serves as the key step in the stereoselective synthesis of a new enantiopure 2-substituted-4,5-dehydropiperidine skeleton, a valuable intermediate for the synthesis of piperidine alkaloids (such as (−)-halosaline) and of hydroxylated quinolizidines (such as (2R,9aR)-(+)-2-hydroxy-quinolizidine).     

Aldol reaction of kojic acid using alumina supported base catalyst and enzymatic resolution of the aldol adduct by CALB

An efficient and ecofriendly aldol reaction of kojic acid with aldehydes using a heterogeneous reusable catalyst (alumina modified with base) is developed. Enzymatic hydrolytic resolution of the racemic acetylated aldol adduct 2 was achieved using lipase from Candida antarctica type B (CALB). The key feature of this enzymatic resolution is that regioselective deacetylation of ester derived from the primary alcohol located away from the stereocentre occurred in the presence of adjacent secondary acetate.     

Synthesis of gem-difluoromethylenated massoialactone by ring-closing metathesis

4,4-Difluoromassoialactone has been synthesized for the first time via a very short sequence, where the ring-closing metathesis (RCM) was employed as a key step. The efficient procedure can easily be extended to the synthesis of other gem-difluoromethylenated α,β-unsaturated-δ-lactone moiety. In addition, the viability of RCM of high electron-deficient olefins has been demonstrated.     

Synthesis of new (−)-menthylgermanium derivatives and its use in heterogeneous bimetallic catalysis

The syntheses and physical properties of tri-(−)-menthylgermanium chloride (2), tri-(−)-menthylmethylgermanium (5), and tri-(−)-menthylgermanium hydride (6) are reported. The preparation of a bimetallic catalyst derived from 5 and Pt supported on SiO₂ and its use in the enantioselective catalytic hydrogenation of acetophenone is also reported.     

Biocatalytic enantioselective preparation of phenothiazine-based cyanohydrin acetates: kinetic and dynamic kinetic resolution

Dynamic kinetic resolution is used for the preparation of a series of novel (+)-10-alkyl-phenothiazin-3-ylcyanomethyl acetates. The method exploits a basic resin both for the racemization and formation of phenothiazine-based cyanohydrins and for the decomposition of acetone cyanohydrin in one pot together with Candida antarctica lipase A-catalyzed enantioselective acylation with vinyl acetate in acetonitrile. The Candida antarctica lipase A-catalyzed methanolysis of racemic 10-alkyl-phenothiazin-3-ylcyanomethyl acetates in acetonitrile with E?100 leads to the corresponding (−)-acetates.     

Total synthesis of (+)-massarinolin B and (+)-4-epi-massarinolin B, fungal metabolites from Massarina tunicata

The Cr(II)- and Ni(II)-mediated coupling of several tricyclic chiral aldehydes with (E)-β-iodomethacrylates (Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi reaction) was successfully applied to the preparation of some valuable key intermediates of our synthetic strategy to the fungal metabolites (+)-massarinolin B, (+)-4-epi-massarinolin B and (+)-massarinolin C.     

N-Cbz sulfilimines as valuable intramolecular nucleophiles for the stereoselective synthesis of (−)-deoxocassine and (+)-desoxoprosophylline

N-Cbz sulfilimine, prepared from the corresponding sulfoxide using the Burgess reagent, has been employed as an intramolecular nucleophile for the regio- and stereoselective preparation of a bromo-carbamate from an alkene. The bromo-carbamate has been utilized as an advanced common synthon for the synthesis of deoxocassine and desoxoprosophylline employing the ene and amidomercuration as key reactions.     

Synthesis of the fungal natural product (−)-xylariamide A

The first synthesis of the fungal natural product (−)-xylariamide A 1 is reported. N,O-Bis(trimethylsilyl)acetamide induced coupling of d-tyrosine with (E)-but-2-enedioic acid 2,5-dioxo-pyrrolidin-1-yl ester methyl ester 5 produced the dechloro natural product 6, which was subsequently monochlorinated using oxone and KCl to yield synthetic 1. (−)-Xylariamide A 1, (+)-xylariamide A 2 and (−)-dechloroxylariamide A 6 displayed no cytotoxic or antimicrobial activity.     

Enzymatic synthesis of optically active 1- and 2-aminoalkanephosphonates

A number of 1- and 2-aminoalkanephosphonates were resolved with high enantioselectivity by Candida antarctica lipase B-catalyzed acetylation. By this method, optically pure aminoalkanephosphonates and amidoalkanephosphonates, the precursors of the corresponding aminoalkanephosphonic acids, were synthesized.     

Aldehyde-based racemization in the dynamic kinetic resolution of N-heterocyclic α-amino esters using Candida antarctica lipase A

The present research introduces approaches for the dynamic kinetic resolution of the methyl esters of proline and pipecolic acid. As the result, a method was developed which is based on the acylation of the secondary amino group of the amino esters with vinyl butanoate by Candida antarctica lipase A. In the optimized method, acetaldehyde as a racemizing agent is released in situ from vinyl butanoate in the presence of triethylamine, allowing ca. 90% of the racemic proline and 70% of the pipecolic acid methyl esters to be acylated in the forms of highly enantiopure (ee=97%) butanamides with the S-absolute configurations.     

Chiral self-assembly of triorganotin complexes: Syntheses, characterization, crystal structures and antitumor activity of organotin(IV) complexes containing (R)-(+)-methylsuccinic acid, (S)-(+)-methylglutaric acid and l-(−)-malic acid ligands

Six new chiral triorganotin(IV) complexes, {(R₃Sn)₂[C₃H₆(COO)₂]}_n (R = Me: 1; Bu: 2), {(R₃Sn)₂[C₄H₈(COO)₂]}_n (R = Me: 3; Bu: 4), and {(R₃Sn)₂[C₂H₄O(COO)₂]}_n (R = Me: 5; Bu: 6) have been prepared by treatment of (R)-(+)-methylsuccinic acid, (S)-(+)-methylglutaric acid and l-(−)-malic acid, with the corresponding R₃SnCl (R = Me, Bu) and sodium ethoxide in methanol. All the complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, NMR (¹H, ¹³C, ¹¹⁹Sn) spectroscopy and TGA. Except for 3, all of the complexes were also characterized by X-ray crystallography. The structural analyses reveal that complexes 1 and 5 have 2D network structures in which (R)-(+)-methylsuccinic acid and l-(−)-malic acid act as tetradentate ligands coordinated to trimethyltin(IV) ions. Complexes 2 and 4 have 3D metal-organic framework structures in which the deprotoned acids serve as tetradentate ligands. Complex 6 adopts a 1D zigzag chain structure and forms a 2D supramolecular framework through intermolecular C-H?O interactions. In addition, the antitumor activities of complexes 1-6 have been studied. We also have measured the specific rotation of the chiral dicarboxylic acids and the organotin derivatives.     

Practical optical resolution of dl-muscone using tartaric acid derivatives as a chiral auxiliary

A simple and practical synthesis of (R)-(−)-muscone was achieved by optical resolution of dl-muscone using tartaric acid derivatives. The acetalization of dl-muscone with N,N′-dibenzyl-l-tartaramide in the presence of Sc(OTf)₃ and methyl orthoformate furnished a diastereomeric mixture of acetals, which were readily separated by simple recrystallization. Diastereomerically pure acetal was hydrolyzed to give optically pure muscone and recovered N,N′-dibenzyl-l-tartaramide.     

Asymmetric syntheses of diarylheptanoid natural products (−)-centrolobine and (−)-de-O-methylcentrolobine via hetero-Diels-Alder reaction catalyzed by dirhodium(II) tetrakis[(R)-3-(benzene-fused-phthalimido)-2-piperidinonate]

Catalytic asymmetric syntheses of (−)-centrolobine and (−)-de-O-methylcentrolobine have been achieved, incorporating a hetero-Diels-Alder (HDA) reaction between 4-aryl-2-silyloxy-1,3-butadienes and phenylpropargyl aldehyde derivatives as a key step. The HDA reaction using dirhodium(II) tetrakis[(R)-3-(benzene-fused-phthalimido)-2-piperidinonate], Rh₂(R-BPTPI)₄, as a chiral Lewis acid catalyst provides exclusively cis-2,6-disubstituted tetrahydropyran-4-ones in up to 93% ee.