Kinetic Resolution of Racemic Secondary Benzylic Alcohols by the Enantioselective Esterification Using Pyridine‐3‐carboxylic Anhydride (3‐PCA) with Chiral Acyl‐Transfer Catalysts

Pyridine‐3‐carboxylic anhydride (3‐PCA) was found to function as an efficient coupling reagent for the preparation of carboxylic esters from various carboxylic acids with alcohols under mild conditions by a simple experimental procedure. This novel condensation reagent 3‐PCA was applicable not only for the synthesis of achiral carboxylic esters catalyzed by 4‐(dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP) but also for the production of chiral carboxylic esters by the combination of chiral nucleophilic catalyst, such as tetramisole (=2,3,5,6‐tetrahydro‐6‐phenylimidazo[2,1‐b][1,3]thiazole) derivatives. An efficient kinetic resolution of racemic benzylic alcohols with achiral carboxylic acids was achieved by using 3‐PCA in the presence of (R)‐benzotetramisole ((R)‐BTM), and a variety of optically active carboxylic esters were produced with high enantiomeric excesses by this new chiral induction system without using a tertiary amine.     

Optical Resolution of 5‐Oxo‐1‐Phenyl‐Pyrazolidine‐3‐Carboxylic Acid as a New Organocatalyst for Organic Reactions

Optical resolution of racemic 5‐oxo‐1‐phenyl‐pyrazolidine‐3‐carboxylic acid 2 with L‐amino acid methyl ester via the diastereomers formation was investigated. Treatment of racemic 5‐oxo‐1‐phenyl‐pyrazolidine‐3‐carboxylic acid 2 with L‐valine methyl ester gave diastereomers with a total yield of 86%. The diastereomeric dipeptides can be easily separated by flash column chromatography. Acidic cleavage of the derived diastereomers gave both the optically pure (+)‐(R)‐ and (‐)‐(S)‐5‐oxo‐1‐phenyl‐pyrazolidine‐3‐carboxylic acid ((+)‐(R)‐ 2 and (‐)‐(S)‐ 2 ) with a total yield of 94% and 95%, respectively.     

Enantiodifferentiating Photodimerization of a 2,6‐Disubstituted Anthracene Assisted by Supramolecular Double‐Helix Formation with Chiral Amines

A novel 2,6‐anthrylene‐linked bis(m‐terphenylcarboxylic acid) strand ( 1 ) self‐associates into a racemic double‐helix. In the presence of chiral mono‐ and diamines, either a right‐ or left‐handed double‐helix was predominantly induced by chiral amines sandwiched between the carboxylic acid strands with accompanying stacking of the two prochiral anthracene linker units in an enantiotopic face‐selective way, as revealed by circular dichroism and NMR spectral analyses. The photoirradiation of the optically active double helices complexed with chiral amines proceeded in a diastereo‐ (anti or syn) and enantiodifferentiating way to afford the chiral anti‐photodimer with up to 98 % enantiomeric excess when (R)‐phenylethylamine was used as a chiral double‐helix inducer. The resulting optically active anti‐photodimer can recognize the chirality of amines and diastereoselectively complex with chiral amines.     

Preferred 3D‐Structure of Peptides Rich in a Severely Conformationally Restricted Cyclopropane Analogue of Phenylalanine

Terminally blocked, homo‐peptide amides of (R,R)‐1‐amino‐2,3‐diphenylcyclopropane‐1‐carboxylic acid (c₃diPhe), a chiral member of the family of C^α‐tetrasubstituted α‐amino acids, from the dimer to the tetramer, and diastereomeric co‐oligopeptides of (R,R)‐ or (S,S)‐c₃diPhe with (S)‐alanine residues to the trimer level were prepared in solution and fully characterized. The synthetic effort was extended to terminally protected co‐oligopeptide esters to the hexamer, where c₃diPhe residues are combined with achiral α‐aminoisobutyric acid residues. The preferred conformations of the peptides were assessed in solution by FT‐IR absorption, NMR, and CD techniques, and for seven oligomers in the crystal state (by X‐ray diffraction) as well. This study clearly indicates that c₃diPhe, a sterically demanding cyclopropane analogue of phenylalanine, tends to fold peptides into β‐turn and 3₁₀‐helix conformations. However, when c₃diPhe is in combination with other chiral residues, the conformation preferred by the resulting peptides is also dictated by the chiral sequence of the amino acid building blocks. The (S,S)‐enantiomer of this α‐amino acid, unusually lacking asymmetry in the main chain, strongly favors the left‐handedness of the turn/helical peptides formed.     

A Short and Elegant Synthesis of (±)‐Streptopyrrolidine

A brief and efficient approach for the synthesis of (±)‐5‐benzyl‐4‐hydroxy‐2‐pyrrolidine ( 1 ) from phenylalanine racemate is described. The key step is the stereocontrolled reduction of the keto functionality of benzylated pyrrolidinone intermediate ( 6 ) via sodium borohydride in carboxylic acid medium furnishing both (R,R)‐ and (S,S)‐configured diastereomers. The natural (R,R) enantiomer ( 2 ), however, crystallized out from its racemic mixture. Structure of 2 was confirmed by NMR, IR, elemental analyzer, and single crystal X‐ray crystallographic techniques.     

Synthesis and helical properties of N‐substituted p‐benzamide random copolymers possessing chiral/achiral and (S)/(R) side chains

Random copolymers of poly(p‐benzamide)s having a methyl‐substituted tri(ethylene glycol) unit as a chiral side chain and a nonsubstituted tri(ethylene glycol) or branching alkyl unit as an achiral side chain were synthesized by copolymerization of N‐substituted 4‐aminobenzoic acid ester monomers with a base in the presence of an initiator. Copolymerizations of the chiral (S)‐monomer with N‐tri(ethylene glycol) achiral monomer and with the racemic monomer were carried out by the addition of a mixture of two monomers and an initiator to a solution of a base all at once, affording the corresponding random copolymers. On the other hand, random copolymerization of the chiral monomer with monomer having an achiral branching alkyl side chain required dropwise addition of the achiral monomer to a mixture of the chiral monomer, the initiator, and the base. These copolymers formed helical structures, but analysis of the CD spectra indicated the absence of cooperativity between the monomer units along the copolymers. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Generation and reactivity of 3‐carbethoxy‐5‐phenyl‐5H,7H‐thiazolo[3,4‐c]oxazol‐4‐ium‐1‐olate

3‐Carbethoxy‐5‐phenyl‐5H,7H‐thiazolo[3,4‐c]oxazol‐4‐ium‐1‐olate was generated from (2R,4R)‐N‐ethoxyoxalyl‐2‐phenylthiazolidine‐4‐carboxylic acid and its reactivity studied. This münchnone showed low reactivity as dipole although from the reaction with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate the corresponding (3R)‐3‐phenyl‐17H,3H‐pyrrolo[1,2‐c]thiazole‐5,6,7‐tricarboxylate could be isolated. The thermolysis of (2R,4R)‐N‐ethoxyoxalyl‐2‐phenylthiazolidine‐4‐carboxylic acid in refluxing acetic anhydride led to the synthesis of N‐(1‐ethoxycarbonyl‐2‐phenylvinyl)‐2‐phenyl‐4‐thioxo‐1,3‐thiazolidine. The structure of methyl (2R,4R)‐N‐ethoxyoxalyl‐2‐phenylthiazoliddine‐4‐carboxylate was determined by X‐ray crystallography.     

Chemo‐Enzymatic Synthesis and Determination of the Absolute Configuration of Both Enantiomers of Methyl trans‐5‐Oxo‐2‐pentylpyrrolidine‐3‐carboxylate Precursors of the Aza Analogues of (+)‐ and (−)‐Methylenolactocin

Enantiomerically pure methyl esters of (+)‐(2R,3S)‐ and (−)‐(2S,3R)‐5‐oxo‐2‐pentylpyrrolidine‐3‐carboxylic acid with 99% and 98% ee were obtained by enzymatic resolution of the corresponding racemic mixture using α‐chymotrypsin and pig‐liver acetone powder, respectively. Their absolute configurations were established by chemical methods, i.e., conversion of the trans‐γ‐lactam moiety to the corresponding γ‐lactone of known configuration. The favorable interactions between the trans‐γ‐lactam and α‐chymotrypsin were rationalized by molecular‐mechanics calculations, which suggest a different situation for the cis‐diastereoisomer.     

Catalytic Enantioselective Synthesis of a 3‐Aryl‐3‐benzyloxindole (=3‐Aryl‐3‐benzyl‐1,3‐dihydro‐2H‐indol‐2‐one) Exhibiting Antitumor Activity

A palladium‐catalyzed intramolecular α‐arylation of an amide in the presence of a bulky chiral N‐heterocyclic carbene ligand is the key step in the first catalytic synthesis of (3R)‐6‐chloro‐3‐(3‐chlorobenzyl)‐1,3‐dihydro‐3‐(3‐methoxyphenyl)‐2H‐indol‐2‐one ((R)‐ 5 ). This oxindole, in racemic form, had been shown previously to be an anticancer agent. (R)‐ 5 was obtained with an overall yield of 45% and with 96% enantioselectivity.     

Chiral Carboxylic Acid Enabled Achiral Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed Enantioselective C−H Functionalization

Reported is an achiral Cp^xRh^III/chiral carboxylic acid catalyzed asymmetric C?H alkylation of diarylmethanamines with a diazomalonate, followed by cyclization and decarboxylation to afford 1,4‐dihydroisoquinolin‐3(2H)‐one. Secondary alkylamines as well as nonprotected primary alkylamines underwent the transformation with high enantioselectivities (up to 98.5:1.5 e.r.) by using a newly developed chiral carboxylic acid as the sole source of chirality to achieve enantioselective C?H cleavage by a concerted metalation‐deprotonation mechanism.     

New Chiral and Achiral Imines and Bisimines Derived from 2‐Phenyl‐1H‐imidazole‐4‐carbaldehyde. Synthesis,Structural Studies and Complexation Stability Constants

Synthesis and properties of new imines and bisimines derived from 2‐phenyl‐1H‐imidazole‐4‐carbaldehyde and amines/diamines were studied. (2‐Phenyl‐1H‐imidazole‐4‐yl)methanol was oxidized to 2‐phenyl‐1H‐imidazole‐4‐carbaldehyde with better yield 55% by the modification of literature procedure. This aldehyde was condensed with the following achiral and chiral amines or 1,2‐diamines: ethanamine, propan‐1‐amine, butan‐1‐amine, 2‐methylpropan‐1‐amine, cyclohexanamine, (2R)‐ and (2S)‐3‐methylbutan‐2‐amine, (1R)‐ and (1S)‐1‐cyclohexylethanamine, (S)‐1‐aminopropan‐2‐ol, (S)‐1‐(2‐phenyl‐1H‐imidazol‐4‐yl)ethanamine, (S)‐1‐(2‐phenyl‐1H‐imidazol‐4‐yl)‐2‐methylpropan‐1‐amine, (S)‐1‐(2‐phenyl‐1H‐imidazol‐4‐yl)‐3‐methylbutan‐1‐amine, ethane‐1,2‐diamine, and (1R,2R)‐ and (1S,2S)‐cyclohexane‐1,2‐diamine. Sixteen condensation products, especially chiral imines and bisimines, were prepared by founded procedures in 45–99% of yields and characterized by the ¹H NMR spectroscopy in solution, mass spectrometry, and elemental analyses. The optical rotation values in the case of chiral ones were also observed. Stability constants of Cu(II) complexes of selected prepared imines/bisimines were determined.     

Catalytic Enantioselective α‐Ketol Rearrangement

A highly enantioselective α‐ketol rearrangement has been developed. In the presence of a chiral Cu‐bisoxazoline complex, achiral β‐hydroxy‐α‐dicarbonyls were isomerized to chiral α‐hydroxy‐β‐dicarbonyls and their bicyclic derivatives in excellent yields and enantioselectivities. Enantioenriched 2‐acyl‐2‐hydroxy cyclohexan‐1‐ones, dihydroxyhexahydrobenzofuranones, and dihydroxyhexahydro‐cycloheptafuranones, with up to three stereocenters, were readily prepared from achiral starting materials in one operation. The reaction is applicable to the desymmetrization of meso substrates and kinetic resolution of racemic alcohols.     

Complete NMR Elucidation of Two N-Protected Trishomocubane Hydantoins and the Ethyl Ester of the Corresponding Amino Acid

In an attempt to resolve a racemic mixture of a trishomocubane hydantoin, the synthesis of a pair of novel diastereomers was obtained by protecting the racemic hydantoin with chlorocarbonic acid-(–)(R)-sec-butyl ester. An achiral i-propyl ester was first used to establish the procedure. The NMR elucidation of both the chiral and achiral N-protected hydantoins is described. Some proton and carbon NMR shifts on the cage are reversed when relative small changes on the protection group are introduced. The chiral centre on the protective group induced splitting of some carbon signals in the ¹³C spectrum on the cage skeleton, but effective separation of the diastereomers could not be obtained. In a further attempt to demonstrate the potential use of the trishomocubane amino acid in peptide synthesis, the ethyl ester of the cage amino acid was synthesised. The structures of the amino acid derivatives were elucidated with 2D NMR techniques and the assignment of the NMR data is presented.     

Two modes of asymmetric polymerization of phenylacetylenes having an L‐amino alcohol residue and two hydroxy groups

Four novel chiral phenylacetylenes having an L ‐amino alcohol residue and two hydroxymethyl groups were synthesized and polymerized by an achiral catalyst ((nbd)Rh⁺[η⁶‐(C₆H₅)B^?(C₆H₅)₃]) or a chiral catalytic system ([Rh(nbd)Cl]₂/(S)‐ or (R)‐phenylethylamine ((S)‐ or (R)‐PEA)). The two resulting polymers having an L ‐valinol or L ‐phenylalaninol residue showed Cotton effects at wavelengths around 430 nm. This observation indicated that they had an excess of one‐handed helical backbones. Positive and negative Cotton effects were observed only for the polymers having an L ‐valinol residue produced by using (R)‐ and (S)‐PEA as a cocatalyst, respectively, although the monomer had the same chirality. Even when the achiral catalyst was used, the two resulting polymers having an L ‐valinol or L ‐phenylalaninol residue showed Cotton effects despite the long distance between the chiral groups and the main chain. We have found the first example of a new type of chiral monomer, that is, a chiral phenylacetylene monomer having an L ‐amino alcohol residue and two hydroxy groups that was suitable for both modes of asymmetric polymerization, that is, the helix‐sense‐selective polymerization ( HSSP ) with the chiral catalytic system and the asymmetric‐induced polymerization ( AIP ) with the achiral catalyst. The other two monomers having L ‐alaninol and L ‐tyrosinol were found to be unsuitable to neither HSSP nor AIP because of their polymers' low solubility. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Preparative enantioseparation of propafenone by counter‐current chromatography using di‐n‐butyl l‐tartrate combined with boric acid as the chiral selector

This paper extends the research of the utilization of borate coordination complexes in chiral separation by counter‐current chromatography (CCC). Racemic propafenone was successfully enantioseparated by CCC with di‐n‐butyl l ‐tartrate combined with boric acid as the chiral selector. The two‐phase solvent system was composed of chloroform/ 0.05 mol/L acetate buffer pH 3.4 containing 0.10 mol/L boric acid (1:1, v/v), in which 0.10 mol/L di‐n‐butyl l ‐tartrate was added in the organic phase. The influence of factors in the enantioseparation of propafenone were investigated and optimized. A total of 92 mg of racemic propafenone was completely enantioseparated using high‐speed CCC in a single run, yielding 40–42 mg of (R)‐ and (S)‐propafenone enantiomers with an HPLC purity over 90–95%. The recovery for propafenone enantiomers from fractions of CCC was in the range of 85–90%.     

Cocrystallization‐Induced Spontaneous Deracemization: A General Thermodynamic Approach to Deracemization

Processes leading to enantiomerically pure compounds are of utmost importance, in particular for the pharmaceutical industry. Starting from a racemic mixture, crystallization‐induced diastereomeric transformation allows in theory for 100 % transformation of the desired enantiomer. However, this method has the inherent limiting requirement for the organic compound to form a salt. Herein, this limitation is lifted by introducing cocrystallization in the context of thermodynamic deracemization, with the process applied to a model chiral fungicide. We report a new general single thermodynamic deracemization process based on cocrystallization for the deracemization of (R,S)‐4,4‐dimethyl‐1‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐2‐(1H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐1‐yl)pentan‐3‐one. This study demonstrates the feasibility of this novel approach and paves the way to further development of such processes.     

Formation of Diastereoisomerically Pure Oxazaphospholes and Their Reaction to Chiral Phosphane‐Borane Adducts

Starting with achiral phosphines and (1S,2S)‐2‐(methylamino)‐1‐phenylpropan‐1‐ol ((+)‐pseudoephedrine) or (1R,2S)‐2‐(methylamino)‐1‐phenylpropan‐1‐ol ((−)‐ephedrine), as chiral auxiliaries, diastereoisomerically pure oxazaphospholes were prepared (Scheme 1). The configuration at the P‐atom is controlled by the configuration at the Ph‐substituted C(1) of (+)‐pseudoephedrine or (−)‐ephedrine, respectively. This was confirmed by X‐ray crystal‐structure analyses of two intermediate compounds in the synthesis route to the chiral triarylborane‐phosphane adducts.     

Asymmetric Total Synthesis of (‐)‐Octahydro‐1H‐benzofuro[3,2‐e]isoquinoline,A Partial Structure of Morphine

Octahydro‐1 H‐benzofuro[3,2‐e]isoquinolines, which possess the ACNO partial structure of morphine, displayed potent oral analgesic and narcotic‐antagonism activity. However, due to inefficiency in their synthesis the ACNO derivatives have not been developed for clinical use. Here, we report in detail the first asymmetric total synthesis of (‐)‐octahydro‐1 H‐benzofuro[3,2‐e]isoquinoline as exemplified by the preparation of (‐)‐ 1 and (‐)‐ 2 . The key intermediate (+)‐5‐hydroxy‐3,4,5,6,7,8‐hexahydro‐1 H‐isoquinoline‐2‐carboxylic acid ethyl ester ((+)‐ 5 ) was prepared in 81% yield and with 100% ee by asymmetric reduction of 5‐oxo‐3,4,5,6,7,8‐hexahydro‐1 H‐isoquinoline‐2‐carboxylic acid ethyl ester ( 6 ) using RuCl[(R,R)‐Tsdpen](p‐cymene) as catalyst with a S/C of 200. The three chiral centers of ACNO skeleton were constructed via a reaction sequence of asymmetric transfer hydrogenation, Heck reaction, and catalytical hydrogenation, and all of these stereoselective reactions were metal‐catalyzed (i.e. Ru, Pd, and Pt, respectively).     

Minor Enantiomer Recycling: Metal Catalyst,Organocatalyst and Biocatalyst Working in Concert

A minor enantiomer recycling one‐pot procedure employing two reinforcing chiral catalysts has been developed. Continuous regeneration of the achiral starting material is effected via selective enzyme‐catalyzed hydrolysis of the minor product enantiomer from Lewis acid–Lewis base catalyzed addition of acyl cyanides to prochiral aldehydes in a two‐phase solvent system. The process provides O‐acylated cyanohydrins in close to perfect enantioselectivities, higher than those obtained in the direct process, and in high yields. A combination of a (S,S)‐salen Ti Lewis acid and Candida antarctica lipase B provides the products with R absolute configuration, whereas the opposite enantiomer is obtained from the (R,R)‐salen Ti complex and Candida rugosa lipase.     

Practical Synthesis of (20S)‐10‐(3‐Aminopropyloxy)‐7‐ethylcamptothecin,a Water‐Soluble Analogue of Camptothecin

A robust, practical synthesis of (20S)‐10‐(3‐aminopropyloxy)‐7‐ethylcamptothecin (T‐2513, 5 ), which is a water‐soluble analogue of camptothecin, has been developed. The key step in this synthesis is a highly diastereoselective ethylation at the C20 position by using N‐arylsulfonyl‐(R)‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroisoquinoline‐3‐carboxylic acid ester as a chiral auxiliary, which affords the key intermediate ethyl‐(S)‐2‐acyloxy‐2‐(6‐cyano‐5‐oxo‐1,2,3,5‐tetrahydroindolizin‐7‐yl)butanoate ( 8 k ) in 93 % yield and 87 % de. Optically pure compound 8 k was obtained by a single recrystallization from acetone and its further elaboration through Friedlander condensation afforded compound 5 . This synthesis does not require any chromatographic purification steps and can provide compound 5 on a multi‐gram scale in 6.3 % overall yield (16 steps).