Enantioselective syntheses of bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane carboxylic acid derivatives by intramolecular cyclopropanation

Enantioselective syntheses of bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane carboxylic acid derivatives are described. The syntheses were achieved by an intramolecular cyclopropanation as the key step, starting from enantiomerically pure starting materials that are commercially available.     

Practical enantiospecific syntheses of lysobisphosphatidic acid and its analogues

We describe a versatile, efficient, and practical method for the preparation of enantiomerically pure lysobisphosphatidic acid (LBPA), bisether analogues, and phosphorothioate analogues of LBPA from solketal. Phosphorylation of a protected sn-2-O-oleoyl glycerol with 2-cyanoethyl bis(N,N-diisopropylamino)phosphite, followed by oxidation and deprotection, generated the enantiomers of 2,2'-LBPA. The corresponding phosphorothioate analogues were obtained by oxidation with sulfur. The (R,R) and (S,S) enantiomers of both LBPA and phosphorothioate LBPA were synthesized from (S)- and (R)-solketal, respectively. The ether analogue of (S,S)-lysobisphosphatidic acid (LBPA) and its enantiomer were synthesized from the same enantiomer (S)-solketal by simply changing the sequence of deprotection steps.     

Asymmetric aza-[2,3]-Wittig sigmatropic rearrangements: chiral auxiliary control and formal asymmetric synthesis of (2S, 3R, 4R)-4-hydroxy-3-methylproline and (-)-kainic acid

A survey of 16 different chiral auxiliaries and a variety of strategies found that an (-)-8-phenylmenthol ester of a glycine derived migrating group can control the absolute stereochemistry of aza-[2,3]-Wittig sigmatropic rearrangements with diastereoselectivities of ca. 3 : 1 with respect to the auxiliary. In two specific examples, ca. 50% yields of enantiomerically pure products were obtained after chromatographic purification. These were synthetically manipulated with no erosion of stereochemistry into intermediates that completed formal asymmetric syntheses of (+)-HyMePro and (-)-kainic acid.     

A concise route to a key intermediate in the total syntheses of (+)-tirandamycic acid and (-)-tirandamycin a 2

An efficacious, asymmetric synthesis of the 2,9-dioxabicyclo[3,3,1]nonane 4 has been completed in nine chemical steps from 4,5-dimethylfuraldehyde (8). Since enantiomerically pure 4 has been previously converted in five steps by Ireland into (+)-tirandamycic acid (3) and more recently by Schlessinger into (-)-tirandamycin A (1), this achievement constitutes in a strictly formal sense the total syntheses of these substances. The key step in the synthesis of 4 features the transformation of the enantiomerically pure furfuryl diol 25 into 29 by initial selective oxidation of (the furan ring and subsequent acid-catalyzed bicycloketalization.     

First asymmetric syntheses of 6-substituted nipecotic acid derivatives

Various nipecotic acid derivatives are known to be potent GABA uptake inhibitors thus being useful in the treatment of a number of neurological and psychological disorders. In this paper, the first asymmetric syntheses of 6-substituted nipecotic acid derivatives are presented. The synthetic strategy was designed to provide access to a large variety of enantiomerically pure 6-substituted nipecotic acid derivatives. The synthesis starts from the chiral N-acyldihydropyridines 15 and 16 obtained via asymmetric electrophilic α-amidoalkylation reaction of a chiral N-acylpyridinium ion. These were utilized for the preparation of enantiomerically pure 6-(4,4-diphenylbutyl)nipecotic acids and 6-(4,4-diphenylbutenyl)nipecotic acids in a multistep synthesis, including the removal of the dimethylphenylsilyl blocking group from the dihydropyridine ring, the reduction of the dihydropyridine heterocycle, a Horner-Wittig reaction and the removal of the chiral auxiliary. The obtained target molecules, however, showed only negligible affinity to the GAT-1- and GAT-3 transport proteins.     

An access to 3,4-(aminomethano)proline in racemic and enantiomerically pure form

Protected racemic and enantiomerically pure 3,4-(aminomethano)prolines rac-9 and (2S,2'R,3R,4R)-9 have been prepared applying a titanium-mediated reductive cyclopropanation as a key step. Thus, cyclopropanations of N,N-dibenzylformamide with titanacyclopropanes generated in situ from racemic or enantiomerically pure tert-butyl N-Boc-3,4-dehydroprolinates rac-8 or (S)-8 proceed diastereoselectively, and furnish the protected racemic and enantiomerically pure diamino acid 9. The latter was incorporated into three tripeptides containing glycyl, alanyl and phenylalanyl moieties.     

Chiral perrocenylalkylamines from (-)-menthone

Three enantiomerically pure ∝-ferrocenylalkylamines are directly obtained from (-)-menthone. The isomerizations of the ∝-ferrocenylalkyl carbocation intermediates are studied and exploited in stereoselective syntheses. These carbocations are the basis of the configurational assignment of the amines. Their usefulness as chiral templates of stereoselective four component condensations is demonstrated by the synthesis of a model compound for peptides.     

Use of asymmetric propargyl dicobalt hexacarbonyl complexes in organic synthesis: Access to enantiomerically pure α-hydroxy acid derivatives

The trapping under different conditions of the carbocation generated by acid treatment of chiral Co₂(CO)₆-complexed propargylic secondary alcohols permitted access to either diastereoisomer at the propargylic center. Further chemical manipulations provided either enantiomer of enantiomerically pure 1,2-difunctionalized molecules such as 1,2-diols, α-hydroxy-aldehydes or α-hydroxy-acids.     

Applications of chiral sulfoxides in enantioselective synthesis of diols and total synthesis of natural products

The sulfoxide mediated enantioselective reduction of carbonyl compounds was extended to the synthesis of enantiomerically pure syn and anti diols, including C₂ symmetric diols. Several applications related to the syntheses of natural products are described. Finally, this sulfoxide mediated enantioselective synthesis was extended to the transformation of ethyl oxalate or other oxalic acid derivatives to enantiomerically pure syn and anti 1,2‐diols. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 13:443–452, 2002; Published online in Wiley Interscience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/hc.10079     

Lipase catalyzed regio- and stereospecific hydrolysis: chemoenzymatic synthesis of both (R)- and (S)-enantiomers of α-lipoic acid

Native lipase of Candida rugosa (EC 3.1.1.3) enantioselectively and regiospecifically hydrolyses the n-butyl ester of 2,4-dithioacetyl butanoic acid either at the carboxylic acid terminus or at the α-thioacetate to provide enantiomerically pure (R)-2,4-dithioacetyl butyric acid and (S)-butyl 2-thio-4-thioacetyl butyrate (ee >98%) while the lipase modified by treatment with diethyl p-nitrophenyl phosphate attacks only the α-thioacetate giving enantiomerically pure (S)-butyl 2-thio-4-thioacetyl butyrate. These enantiomerically pure intermediates can be used as chiral building blocks to obtain both (S)- and (R)-enantiomers of α-lipoic acid and their analogues.     

Asymmetric synthesis of 3-substituted proline chimeras bearing polar side chains of proteinogenic amino acids

The amino-zinc-ene-enolate cyclization reaction is a straightforward route to the synthesis of 3-substituted prolines. Herein we report the application of this reaction to the syntheses of proline chimeras of lysine, glutamic acid, glutamine, arginine, and serine. All these compounds were obtained in enantiomerically pure form and suitably protected for peptide synthesis.     

Disappearing Enantiomorphs: Single Handedness in Racemate Crystals

Although crystallization is the most important method for the separation of enantiomers of chiral molecules in the chemical industry, the chiral recognition involved in this process is poorly understood at the molecular level. We report on the initial steps in the formation of layered racemate crystals from a racemic mixture, as observed by STM at submolecular resolution. Grown on a copper single‐crystal surface, the chiral hydrocarbon heptahelicene formed chiral racemic lattice structures within the first layer. In the second layer, enantiomerically pure domains were observed, underneath which the first layer contained exclusively the other enantiomer. Hence, the system changed from a 2D racemate into a 3D racemate with enantiomerically pure layers after exceeding monolayer‐saturation coverage. A chiral bias in form of a small enantiomeric excess suppressed the crystallization of one double‐layer enantiomorph so that the pure minor enantiomer crystallized only in the second layer.     

Stereoselective Synthesis of α-Aminonitril on Glucose Templates

Both proteinogenic and non proteinogenic α-amino acids are of particular interest as constituents of peptide factors, peptidomimetics and antibiotics for the construction of modern selective drugs. [1] Furthemore, α-amino acid derivatives are interesting building units for chiral-pool syntheses of enantiomerically pure natural products. [2] Numerous efforts in modern organic synthesis are centered on the synthesis of enantiomerically pure α-amino acids. [3] During the past three decades efficient methods of asymmetric synthesis of α-amino acids have been developed; most of them are based on electrophilic transformations of organometallic intermediates. [4] Using the concept that the chirality of the carbohydrates can be exploited for diastereoselective reactions, Kunz and his cooperator had developed a Strecker synthesis with glycosyl amines as chiral auxiliaries. [5]     

Pd‐Catalyzed Allylic Substitution with Enantiomerically Pure Catalysts and Chiral Non‐Racemic Substrates: A New Approach to Catalyst‐Based Regiocontrol,Preliminary Communication

Chiral, enantiomerically pure Pd‐catalysts were used to control the regioselectivity of nucleophilic attack in allylic substitutions with optically active 1,3‐disubstituted allyl acetates (Schemes 4 – 6). In contrast to reactions with achiral catalysts, where the regioselectivity is determined by the steric and electronic effects of the allylic substituents, chiral catalysts allow selective preparation of either one of the two regioisomeric products, depending on which enantiomer of the catalyst is employed. It is not necessary to start from an enantiomerically pure substrate, because the major and minor enantiomers are converted to different regioisomers (not to enantiomeric products; see Scheme 3), resulting in products of very high ee, even when the starting material is only of moderate enantiomer purity.     

Synthesis of (+)-codonopsinine: determination of absolute configuration of natural (−)-codonopsinine

(+)-Codonopsinine, the enantiomer of natural (?)-codonopsinine, was synthesized in an enantiomerically pure form from L-tartaric acid, which led to the establishment of the absolute configuration of the natural substance to be 2S,3R,4R,5R.     

Synthesis of the enantiomer of the structure assigned to the natural product nobilisitine A

The synthesis of the enantiomer of the structure, 1, assigned to the natural product nobilisitine A has been accomplished using the enantiomerically pure cis-1,2-dihydrocatechol 4 as starting material. The (1)H and (13)C NMR spectral data derived from compound ent-1 do not match those reported for the natural product, thus suggesting its structure has been incorrectly assigned.     

Elektrochemische Oxidation von (S)-Äpfelsäure-Derivaten: ein Weg zu enantiomerenreinen alkylierten Malonaldehydsäure-estern

Electrochemical Oxidation of (S)-Malic-Acid Derivatives: a Route to Enantiomerically Pure Alkylmalonaldehydic Esters The 3,3-dialkymalic-acid diesters, prepared by the previously described diastereoselective alkylations through dilithium alkoxide enolates, are saponified to the monoesters containing a free α-hydroxycarboxylic-acid moiety(Scheme 3). The monoesters are subjected to electrochemical oxidative decarboxylation in MeOH . If the intermediate monoacids are purified, the malonaldehydic esters (2-formy1-2-alkylcaroxylates) Obtained by this procedure are enantiomerically pure; they have the same structural features, i.e. two enantiotopic functionalized branches on the (persubstituted) stereogenic center, as the well known 3-hydroxy-2-methylpropanoic acid (‘Roche acid’) which was employed frequently as a starting material for the preparation of either enantiomer of various target molecules.     

A chemoenzymatic total synthesis of ent-bengamide E

The cis-1,2-dihydrocatechol 3, which can be obtained in enantiomerically pure form by microbial dihydroxylation of bromobenzene, has been converted into the enantiomer, ent-1, of the cyclolysine-based marine natural product bengamide E (1).     

Asymmetric total syntheses of (-)-antofine and (-)-cryptopleurine using (R)-(E)-4-(tributylstannyl)but-3-en-2-ol

The asymmetric total syntheses of the representative phenanthroindolizidine and phenanthroquinolizidine alkaloids, (-)-antofine and (-)-cryptopleurine, are described. An efficient synthetic pathway to the key intermediate 12, in enantiomerically pure form, was achieved by using a chiral building block (R)-9 and the Overman rearrangement with a total transfer of chirality. The problem of constructing the pyrrolidine and piperidine rings was successfully addressed, primarily by using a ring-closing metathesis reaction and a cross-metathesis reaction, respectively.     

Simple, catalytic enantioselective syntheses of estrone and desogestrel

Highly enantioselective and very short syntheses of the bioactive forms of estrone (3) and desogestrel (4) are described using a chiral oxazaborolidinium catalyst (2) in the key initial step. Enantiomerically pure estrone was synthesized in eight steps from the readily available starting materials diene 5 and alpha,beta-enal 6 via intermediates 8 and 9. Desogestrel was synthesized using a similar strategy from diene 5 and alpha,beta-enal 11 via intermediates 12-17. The efficient syntheses of the chiral catalyst 2 and its enantiomer are also presented.