‘Green’ synthesis of important pharmaceutical building blocks: enzymatic access to enantiomerically pure α-chloroalcohols

Thirty one recombinant ketoreductase enzymes were screened for the reduction of six α-chloroketones, the precursors of pharmaceutically valuable α-chloroalcohols. Several highly active and enantioselective ketoreductases were found and their applications to the synthesis of both enantiomers of these α-chloroalcohols were demonstrated on a preparative scale. This offers a convenient, ‘green’ access to this type of important pharmaceutical building blocks.     

A practical approach to enantiomerically pure cis-epoxides. synthesis of (+)-disparlure

An efficient synthesis of (+)-disparlure has been achieved in >99.8% ee via the Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation followed by Mitsunobu inversion of one hydroxyl group and conversion of the resultant erythro diol to the cis epoxide.     

Efficient synthesis of enantiomerically pure dihydropyrans

cis- and trans-2-Substituted-3,6-dihydro-2H-pyran-3-ols have been prepared via an aldol condensation/ring-closing metathesis/enzymatic resolution sequence. The process can be scaled up to yield gram quantities of enantiomerically pure material.     

Microwave assisted synthesis of enantiomerically pure allylboronates

Stable allylboronates with a stereogenic centre α to the boronic ester moiety represent versatile reagents for stereoselective synthesis of homoallylic alcohols. Use of microwave irradiation in desilylation and sigmatropic rearrangement reactions allows rapid synthesis of α-chiral allylboronates utilized in the highly diastereo- and enantioselective synthesis of (Z)-configured homoallylic α-hydroxy esters by allyl additions to ethyl glyoxylate.     

Asymmetric synthesis of (+)-allo-quercitol and (+)-talo-quercitol via free radical cycloisomerization of an enantiomerically pure alkyne-tethered aldehyde derived from a carbohydrate.

We describe for the first time the free radical cyclization of enantiomerically pure alkyne-tethered aldehydes obtained from a carbohydrate (6, 7). The synthesis of compounds 6 and 7 obtained from a derivative of D-ribose is reported. These radical precursors have been submitted to cyclization with tributyltin hydride plus azobisisobutyronitrile to yield, after ring closure, two carbocycles, respectively. These carbocycles have been obtained as mixtures of E and Z vinyltin isomers, but with excellent diastereoselection at the new stereocenter formed during the ring closure. After protodestannylation, only one diastereomer was detected and isolated. The absolute configuration at the new stereocenter formed during the carbocyclization has been established by detailed (1)H NMR analysis. The specific transformation of 7-methoxymethoxy-2,2-dimethyl-4-methylene-5-tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy-(3aR,5S,7S,7aS)-perhydrobenzo[d][1,3]dioxole into optically pure (+)-allo-quercitol and (+)-talo-quercitol is described. From these results, we conclude that under an appropriate choice of radical precursors and conditions, the synthesis of highly functionalized cyclohexane derivatives of biological interest is now available.     

A large-scale synthesis of enantiomerically pure γ-hydroxy-organochalcogenides

Enantiomerically pure (R)- and (S)-γ-hydroxy-organochalcogenides are prepared using poly-[R]-3-hydroxybutanoate (PHB) as the starting material.     

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of enantiomerically pure tricyclic benzomorphan analogues

The key step in the synthesis of enantiomerically pure benzomorphan analogous tricyclic amines 2 is the kinetic resolution of secondary alcohol 7 using the lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescence. The (S)-configured alcohol (S)-7 and the (R)-configured ester (R)-8 were obtained in good yield (40% and 46%, respectively) and excellent enantiomeric excess (99% ee and 98.4% ee, respectively). A diastereoselective oxa-Pictet-Spengler reaction of (S)-7 with ethyl glyoxalate (OHC–CO₂Et) followed by a Dieckmann cyclization provided the tricyclic ring system 11, which allowed the diastereoselective introduction of an amino group at the 6-position. The absolute configuration of alcohol (S)-7 was determined with the tricyclic alcohol 13. The quantum mechanically calculated specific optical rotation of (S,S,S)-configured alcohol 13 is in accordance with the measured specific rotation of the synthesized compound. Moreover, X-ray crystal structure analysis of the synthesized compound, determined with the three-beam interference method, proved the (S,S,S)-configuration of 13. The enantiomerically pure dimethylamine 12 showed moderate affinity toward σ₂ receptors.     

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of enantiomerically pure terminal 1,2-diols

A new practical method for the enzymatic synthesis of 1,2-diols has been developed by employing a lipase catalyzed one-pot transesterification protocol. A series of substituted -acetoxyphenylethanones 3a–g have been reduced to the corresponding alcohols under mild conditions employing sodium borohydride and moist neutral alumina, and further subjected for lipase catalyzed irreversible transesterification in the same pot to give mono- and diacetate diols (R)-4 and (S)-5, which on hydrolysis afforded terminal 1,2-diols, (R)- and (S)-6 in high enantiomeric excess.     

Epoxy ketones as versatile building blocks in organic synthesis

The major advances made in the functionalisation of racemic and optically active epoxy ketones where one or several stereogenic centres are either preserved or modified are reviewed. Some relevant applications to the synthesis of natural products and biologically active compounds are also described.     

Amino-acids as chiral synthons : synthesis of enantiomerically pure α-hydroxy esters.

Reaction of lithium homocuprates with α-hydroxy β-bromo ester derivated from aspartic acid affords α-hydroxy esters of high enantiomerical purity.     

Diastereoselective hydroboration of chiral enamines using an enantiomerically pure amine from an industrial waste material as the source of chirality

By a hydroboration/oxidation procedure trans-aminoalcohols with dr values from 74:26 to ≥95:5 were obtained. A bicyclic amine derived from the unnatural amino acid 2-azabicyclic[3.3.0]octane-3-carboxylic acid was used as the chiral precursor. The absolute configuration was clarified by X-ray structure of a descendant of the trans-aminoalcohols.     

Highly enantiomerically enriched chlorophosphine boranes: synthesis and applications as P-chirogenic electrophilic blocks

The stereoselective synthesis of P-chirogenic chlorophosphine boranes 4 was investigated by HCl acidolysis of the corresponding aminophosphine boranes 10. The reaction afforded the P-N bond cleavage with inversion of the configuration at the phosphorus center, leading to the chlorophosphine boranes 4 with high to excellent enantiomeric purities (80-99% ee), except in the case of the chloro-1-naphthylphenylphosphine borane 4d. Reaction conditions and workup significantly influence the enantiomeric purity of the product, with the exception of the o-anisyl- and o-tolylchlorophenylphosphine boranes, 4b and 4c, which were found to be particularly stable even after purification by chromatography on silica gel. Reaction of the chlorophosphine boranes 4 with various nucleophiles, such as carbanions, phenolates, thiophenolates, or amides, afforded the corresponding organophosphorus borane complexes via P-C, P-O, P-S, and P-N bond formation, respectively, in 34-93% yield and with up to 99% ee. This work demonstrates the importance of chlorophosphine boranes 4 as new and powerful electrophilic building blocks for the highly stereoselective synthesis of P-chirogenic organophosphorus compounds.     

A concise synthesis of enantiomerically pure aroyl-l-alanines and dihydroaroyl-l-alanines

Straightforward preparation of enantiomerically highly enriched N-substituted aroylalanines has been developed. This process involves the combination of crystallization-induced asymmetric transformation and a conjugate addition of N-nucleophiles to the corresponding aroylacrylic acids. Further transformations to 3,4-dichlorobenzoylalanine and aroyl-l-alanines via periodate oxidation and stereoselective reduction to N-substituted syn-4-aryl-4-hydroxy-2-aminobutanoic acids are also described.     

A convenient synthesis of activated enantiomerically pure 2-ethynylaziridines

2,3-cis- and 2,3-trans-N-Arylsulfonyl-2-ethynylaziridines with high enantiomeric purity have been synthesized. N-Protected amino aldehydes synthesized from natural α-amino acids were successively treated with Ph₃PC(Br)CO₂Me, DIBAL, MsCl–Et₃N, NaH in DMSO, and tert-BuOK in THF to yield 2-ethynylaziridines in good to high yields.     

The synthesis of diastereo- and enantiomerically pure beta-aminocyclopropanecarboxylic acids

The synthesis of diastereo- and enantiomerically pure beta-aminocyclopropanecarboxylic acids (beta-ACCs) is described. Starting from pyrrole, (rac)-4 is readily obtained, which was kinetically resolved by enzymatic hydrolysis. Subsequent oxidation of (-)-4 and deformylation gives rise to the cis-beta-ACC derivative (ent)-9, while (+)-10 was converted to the trans-beta-ACC derivative 8. Both 8 and (ent)-9 and their benzyl esters 13 and 16, being conformationally restricted beta-alanine or gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) derivatives, represent useful building blocks for peptides containing unnatural amino acids.     

1,4-Hydrogen radical transfer as a new and versatile tool for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure 1,2,3-triols

[reaction: see text]1,4-Hydrogen radical transfers can now be reliably envisaged in radical synthetic chemistry as demonstrated by the formation of the cyano derivative II from I. Due to related sequences involving this new translocation process, followed by a highly diastereoselective trapping of the resulting anomeric radical, access to intriguing enantiopure 1,2,3-triols such as III is available.     

Glycosyl thioimidates as versatile building blocks for organic synthesis

This review discusses the synthesis and application of glycosyl thioimidates in chemical glycosylation and oligosaccharide assembly. Although glycosyl thioimidates include a broad range of compounds, the discussion herein centers on S-benzothiazolyl (SBaz), S-benzoxazolyl (SBox), S-thiazolinyl (STaz), and S-benzimidazolyl (SBiz) glycosides. These heterocyclic moieties have recently emerged as excellent anomeric leaving groups that express unique characteristics for highly diastereoselective glycosylation and help to provide a streamlined access to oligosaccharides.     

Synthons as building blocks in the synthesis of liquid crystalline multiblock copolymers

Synthetic approaches which allow to insert rather long fragments with exactly definite sequence of several single structural units into polymer chains are considered and summarized. The procedure consists in preliminary formation of such sequences in a form of bifunctional “complex monomer” (synthons) which may undergo a polycondensation with other single or complex monomer to form macromolecule with definite alternation of several single monomers. These synthetic approaches were used for the synthesis of LC multi-block copolymers with definite structure of rigid block.     

Total synthesis of apoptolidin: construction of enantiomerically pure fragments

A general strategy for the total synthesis of the antitumor agent apoptolidin (1) is proposed, and the chemical synthesis of the defined key building blocks (4, 5, 6, 8, and 9) in their enantiomerically pure forms is described. The projected total synthesis calls for a dithiane coupling reaction to construct the C(20)-C(21) bond, a Stille coupling reaction to form the C(11)-C(12) bond, and a Yamaguchi macrolactonization to assemble the macrolide ring, as well as two glycosidation reactions to fuse the carbohydrate units onto the molecule. First and second generation syntheses to the required fragments for apoptolidin (1) are described.     

Synthesis of 5-aminothiazoles as building blocks for library synthesis

A convenient route to 4-phenyl-5-aminothiazoles is described, which offers control over substitution at the 2-position. 2-N-Acylglycinamides were dithionated and a subsequent TFAA-mediated cyclisation step was followed by removal of the 5-N-trifluoroacetyl group providing the free amines. Though applicable generally the method was found to be most effective when introducing aromatic substituents at the 2-position, whereupon moderate overall yields of the 5-amino compounds were obtained.