Asymmetric synthesis of alpha-amino acids: preparation and alkylation of monocyclic iminolactones derived from alpha-methyl trans-cinnamaldehyde

Two novel chiral monocyclic iminolactones 14a and 14b have been prepared. The chiral auxiliary 12 was obtained from alpha-methyl-trans-cinnamaldehyde through reduction, methylation, Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, and oxidation in 87% overall yield. Esterification of compound 12 with the respective protected amino acids followed by deprotection and cyclization provided the corresponding iminolactones, each in 82% overall yield. Alkylation of the iminolactone 14a afforded the alpha-methyl-alpha,alpha-disubstituted products 15 and 16 in good yields (78-99%) and excellent diastereoselectivity (de >98%). Alkylations of the iminolactone 14b furnished the alpha-benzyl-alpha,alpha-disubstituted products 15a, 16b, 17, and 18 in good yields (51-86%) but moderate diastereoselectivities (43-56%). When HMPA or DMPU was used as a cosolvent, the rate of alkylation of the iminolactone 14b was accelerated with improved yields (56-99%) and diastereoselectivities (50-83%). Hydrolysis of the dialkylated iminolactones yielded the alpha,alpha-disubstituted alpha-amino acids in good yields (80-98%) and high enantiomeric excesses (98-99%) with good recovery of compound 12 (83-92%).     

Selective synthesis of either enantiomer of alpha-amino acids by switching the regiochemistry of the tricyclic iminolactones prepared from a single chiral source

Preparation of l-alpha-amino acids was easily accomplished simply by exchanging the position of the lactone group of our recently reported chiral template 1 from C2 to C3. The new chiral template 7 was prepared in 54% overall yield over five steps from (1R)-(+)-camphor. Alkylation of iminolactone 7 afforded the alpha-monosubstituted products in good yields and excellent diastereoselectivities (>98%). Hydrolysis of the alkylated iminolactones furnished the desired l-alpha-amino acids in good yields and ee with nearly quantitative recovery of chiral auxiliary 4.     

Asymmetric synthesis of α-methyl-α-amino acids via diastereoselective alkylation of (1S)-(+)-3-carene derived tricyclic iminolactone

A novel carene-based alanine-equivalent tricyclic iminolactone 16 has been synthesized via stereoselective dihydroxylation of the double bond, IBX oxidation of the secondary alcohol, esterification of the tertiary alcohol, deprotection of the resulting ester, and subsequent cyclization from commercially available (1S)-(+)-3-carene in 79% overall yield. The iminolactone 16 demonstrated high reactivity toward alkylation with a wide range of electrophiles at room temperature under phase-transfer catalysis conditions. The alkylated products were produced with excellent diastereoselectivities (>98% de) in good isolated yields (86-94%). High yields (83-91%) of optically pure (S)-α-methyl-α-substituted-α-amino acids were obtained by basic hydrolysis of the dialkylated iminolactones with the recovery of the chiral auxiliary 15 (78-87%).     

Asymmetric synthesis of alpha,alpha-disubstituted alpha-amino acids by diastereoselective alkylation of camphor-based tricyclic iminolactone

A novel and convenient route for the preparation of chiral tricyclic iminolactones 9 and 10 from camphorquinone has been developed. Alkylation of iminolactones 9 and 10 provided iminolactones 16 and 17 in high yields which were, in turn, alkylated again to afford the alpha,alpha-disubstituted products in good yields (70-90%) and excellent diastereoselectivities (>98%). Hydrolysis of the alkylated iminolactones furnished the desired alpha,alpha-disubstituted alpha-amino acids in good yields and high enantiomeric excesses with good recovery yields of the chiral auxiliary 12 and 13. The extremely high endo-face selectivity for alkylation is discussed using semiempirical (MOPAC 93) calculations.     

Barbier-type diastereoselective allylation of alpha-amino aldehydes with an enantiopure 2-sulfinylallyl building block.

An optimized procedure for the diastereoselective allylation under aqueous Barbier conditions of a series of alpha-amino aldehydes with our new chiral building block (S(s))-3-chloro-2-(p-tolylsulfinyl)-1-propene [(S(s))-1a] to afford enantiomerically pure sulfinylamino alcohols in good yields and diastereoselectivites is reported. High levels of diastereoinduction can be achieved from alpha-amino aldehydes configurationally related to natural alpha-amino acids.     

Asymmetric Synthesis of alpha-Amino Phosphonic Acids by Diastereoselective Addition of Trimethyl Phosphite onto Chiral Oxazolidines(1)

A simple and general asymmetric synthesis of alpha-amino phosphonic acids is described. The method involves the highly selective addition of trialkyl phosphite onto various chiral oxazolidines. Oxazaphosphorinanes thus obtained with an excellent diastereoselectivity furnish the corresponding (S)-alpha-substituted amino phosphonic acids in good overall yields and high ee (77-->97%) after simple deprotection.     

Diastereoselective conjugate addition to chiral alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl systems in aqueous media: an enantioselective entry to alpha- and gamma-hydroxy acids and alpha-amino acids

The stereoselectivity of the ultrasonically induced zinc--copper conjugate addition of iodides to chiral alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl systems under aqueous conditions was studied. Alkyl iodides add diastereoselectively to methylenedioxolanone 1 and methyleneoxazolidinone 2 to afford the 1,4-addition products in good yields (38-95 %) and with high diastereomeric excess (44-90 % de). The 1,4-addition to chiral gamma,delta-dioxolanyl-alpha,beta-unsaturated esters 3-5 also proceeds with good yields (51-99 %). The diastereoselectivity is dependent on the geometry of the olefin: the Z isomer 3 gives high diastereoselectivity, while the reactions with the E isomer 4 are nonstereoselective. The reaction proceeds with excellent chemoselectivity and allows the use of iodides bearing ester, hydroxy, and amino groups. Since the 1,4-addition products can be readily hydrolyzed, this methodology constitutes a novel entry for the enantioselective synthesis of alpha- and gamma-hydroxy acids and alpha-amino acids in aqueous media. The results obtained support the radical mechanism proposed by Luche, and represent one of the few examples of a radical stereoselective conjugate addition in aqueous medium.     

Optically active aromatic and heteroaromatic alpha-amino acids by a one-pot catalytic enantioselective addition of aromatic and heteroaromatic C-H bonds to alpha-imino esters

The development of a practical one-pot catalytic enantioselective procedure for the synthesis of non-natural aromatic and heteroaromatic alpha-amino acids is reported. Starting from readily available starting materials and application of a chiral BINAP-Cu(I) catalyst, the optically active products are formed with readily removable N-protecting groups. The scope of the reaction is demonstrated by the addition of substituted furans, thiophenes, pyrroles, and aromatic compounds to N-alkoxycarbonyl-alpha-imino esters in good yields and with enantioselectivities up to 96% ee for the furans, 93% ee for the thiophenes, and 98% for the aromatic compounds. The protecting groups are readily removed, and various transformations of the aromatic and heteroaromatic alpha-amino acids are demonstrated. The coordination of the N-alkoxycarbonyl alpha-imino ester to the chiral BINAP-Cu(I) complex and the enantioselectivity of the catalyst is discussed on the basis of the DFT calculations and X-ray crystallographic data.     

(S,S)-(+)-pseudoephedrine alpha-iminoglyoxylamide as a chiral glycine cation equivalent: a modular and flexible approach to enantioenriched alpha-amino ketones

We have studied the ability of an alpha-imino glyoxylamide derived from (S, S)-(+)-pseudoephedrine as a valuable chiral electrophile for the preparation of alpha-amino carbonyl compounds. In this context, the addition of Grignard reagents to the azomethine moiety of this chiral electrophile afforded the expected alpha-amino amide adducts in good yields and diastereoselectivities. Moreover, these adducts have been transformed into enantioenriched alpha-amino ketones by exploiting the ability of pseudoephedrine amides to undergo selective monoaddition to the carbamoyl group with organolithium reagents.     

A facile approach to the synthesis of chiral 2-substituted benzofurans

An effective route to chiral optically active 2-substituted benzofurans directly from carboxylic acids is reported. This procedure, which allows the preparation of alpha-alkyl-2-benzofuranmethanamines from N-protected alpha-amino acids without sensible racemization phenomena, proceeds in good yields under mild conditions with the help of microwave irradiation.     

Synthesis of pseudopeptides with sulfoximines as chiral backbone modifying elements

The synthesis of pseudopeptides with a chiral alpha-sulfonimidoylcarboxy moiety in the backbone is described. Starting from readily available (Ss)-S-methyl S-phenyl sulfoximine and various cyclic and acyclic alpha-amino acids the desired products are obtained in good yields with peptide coupling methodology. Specific secondary structures caused by intramolecular hydrogen bonds may be adopted. Results of NMR studies to reveal conformational preferences will be discussed.     

Stereoselective synthesis of di- and monofluoromethylated vicinal ethylenediamines with di- and monofluoromethyl sulfones

The diastereoselective nucleophilic (phenylsulfonyl)difluoromethylation and (phenylsulfonyl)monofluoromethylation of alpha-amino N-tert-butanesulfinimines (3) by using PhSO2CF2H and PhSO2CH2F reagents gave products 4 or 5 in high yields (73-99%) and with excellent diastereoselectivity (dr up to >99:1). After subsequent reductive desulfonylation and acid-catalyzed alcoholysis, compounds 4 and 5 could be readily transformed to chiral alpha-difluoromethylated or alpha-monofluoromethylated ethylenediamines in good yields.     

Liquid chromatographic enantiomer resolution of N-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl alpha-amino acids and their ester derivatives on polysaccharide-derived chiral stationary phases

The liquid chromatographic enantiomer separation of N-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (FMOC) protected alpha-amino acids and their ethyl ester derivatives was performed on polysaccharide-derived chiral stationary phases, Chiralcel OD, Chiralpak AD, and Chiralpak AS. In general, Chiralcel OD and Chiralpak AD showed good performance for resolution of N-FMOC alpha-amino acids and their ethyl esters, respectively. All investigated N-FMOC alpha-amino acid enantiomers were baseline separated on Chiralcel OD or Chiralpak AD, whereas N-FMOC alpha-amino acid ethyl ester enantiomers were baseline resolved (alpha = 1.15-3.03) on Chiralpak AD, except for two analytes. The L-enantiomers of all examined FMOC alpha-amino acid ethyl ester derivatives are preferentially retained on Chiralpak AD, while the elution orders of the other enantiomer separations are not consistent.     

Preparation and application of a new ligand exchange chiral stationary phase for the liquid chromatographic resolution of alpha-amino acid enantiomers

A new liquid chromatographic ligand exchange CSP has been prepared by covalently bonding (S)-N,N-carboxymethyl undecyl leucinol monosodium salt onto silica gel and employed in resolving various alpha-amino acids. The new CSP was quite good in resolving various a-amino acids and the resolution results were dependent on the type and content of organic modifier in the mobile phase. From these results, a chiral recognition model using a lipophilic interaction between the tethering alkyl group of the CSP and the substituent at the chiral center of alpha-amino acids was proposed. The liquid chromatographic resolution of alpha-amino acids on the new CSP was also found to be dependent on the Cu(II) concentration in the mobile phase and the column temperature.     

Practical and efficient enantioselective synthesis of alpha-amino acids in aqueous media

Enantiomerically pure natural and unnatural alpha-amino acids have been synthesized from a chiral methyleneoxazolidinone by means of a highly diastereoselective 1,4-conjugate addition of alkyl iodides in aqueous media. The zinc-copper conjugate addition reaction exhibits high chemoselectivity, with the possibility of using functionalized iodides, to afford a single diastereomer in short reaction times and with good yields.     

A novel synthetic route to chiral gamma-lactams from alpha-amino acids via Rh-catalyzed intramolecular C-H insertion

Highly functionalized gamma-lactams are key intermediates for the synthesis of numerous biologically significant natural products. We herein described the synthesis of various chiral gamma-lactams via intramolecular C-H insertion of alpha-diazo-alpha-(phenylsulfonyl)acetamides derived from alpha-amino acids, which possess various functional groups. The cyclizations were highly regio- and stereoselective to afford chiral gamma-lactam motifs in high yields.     

Asymmetric petasis reactions catalyzed by chiral biphenols

Chiral biphenols catalyze the enantioselective Petasis reaction of alkenyl boronates, secondary amines, and ethyl glyoxylate. The reaction requires the use of 15 mol % of (S)-VAPOL as the catalyst, alkenyl boronates as nucleophiles, ethyl glyoxylate as the aldehyde component, and 3 A molecular sieves as an additive. The chiral alpha-amino ester products are obtained in good yields (71-92%) and high enantiomeric ratios (89:11-98:2). Mechanistic investigations indicate single ligand exchange of acyclic boronate with VAPOL and tetracoordinate boronate intermediates.     

1,5-Dimethyl-4-phenylimidazolidin-2-one-derived iminic glycinimides: useful new reagents for practical asymmetric synthesis of alpha-amino acids

New 1,5-dimethyl-4-phenylimidazolidin-2-one-derived acyclic chiral iminic glycine reagents have been prepared and diastereoselectively alkylated with activated alkyl halides and electrophilic olefins in the presence of lithium chloride under (a) strong bases (LHMDS, KOBu(t)) and low temperature (-78 degrees C) conditions, (b) solid-liquid phase-transfer catalysis reaction (LiOH, TBAB, -20 degrees C) conditions, and (c) in the presence of organic bases (DBU, BEMP, TMG, -20 degrees C). In the case of dielectrophiles C- and N-alkylation takes place to afford heterocyclic derivatives. Hydrolysis of alkylated products has been carried out (a) in two-step procedures with LiOOH or LiOH followed by acidic hydrolysis or Dowex purification, (b) in one single-step under refluxing water to give the corresponding alpha-amino acid, (c) in the presence of DBU in methanol to provide N-protected alpha-amino acids methyl esters, or (d) by a protection-hydrolysis procedure to afford N-Boc-protected alpha-amino acids. The chiral imidazolidinone has generally been recovered in good yield. This methodology has been shown to be useful for the synthesis of acyclic and heterocyclic (S)- and (R)-alpha-amino acids.     

The first highly enantioselective homogeneously catalyzed asymmetric reductive amination: synthesis of alpha-N-benzylamino acids

High-throughput screening considering a library of 96 chiral P-ligands involved in two types of Rh(I) complexes was used for the identification of homogeneous catalysts for the highly enantioselective reductive amination of alpha-keto acids with benzylamine. After optimization of the reaction conditions and scale-up with a cationic Rh-Deguphos catalyst, a range of chiral alpha-amino acids could be produced by this new reaction in good yield and by up to 98% ee.     

Applications of the sulfinimine-mediated asymmetric strecker synthesis to the synthesis of alpha-alkyl alpha-amino acids

Addition of Et(2)AlCN and i-PrOH to ketosulfinimines (N-sulfinyl imines) affords corresponding alpha-alkyl alpha-amino nitriles in moderate to good yields. The diastereoselectivity is largely dependent on the E/Z isomer ratio of the ketosulfinimine. Hydrolysis of the diastereomerically pure amino nitriles affords enantiopure alpha-alkyl alpha-amino acids in moderate to good yields.