Facile Asymmetric Synthesis of α-Amino Acids Employing Chiral Ligand-Mediated Asymmetric Addition Reactions of Phenyllithium with Imines

A three-step methodology involving an external chiral ligand-mediated asymmetric addition of phenyllithium to an anisidine imine, oxidative removal of N-PMP group, and finally oxidative conversion of the phenyl group to a carboxyl group provides a facile synthesis of optically pure α-amino acid derivatives bearing a bulky α-substituent.     

Stereocontrolled Synthesis of syn‐β‐Hydroxy‐α‐Amino Acids by Direct Aldolization of Pseudoephenamine Glycinamide

β‐Hydroxy‐α‐amino acids figure prominently as chiral building blocks in chemical synthesis and serve as precursors to numerous important medicines. Reported herein is a method for the synthesis of β‐hydroxy‐α‐amino acid derivatives by aldolization of pseudoephenamine glycinamide, which can be prepared from pseudoephenamine in a one‐flask protocol. Enolization of (R,R)‐ or (S,S)‐pseudoephenamine glycinamide with lithium hexamethyldisilazide in the presence of LiCl followed by addition of an aldehyde or ketone substrate affords aldol addition products that are stereochemically homologous with L ‐ or D ‐threonine, respectively. These products, which are typically solids, can be obtained in stereoisomerically pure form in yields of 55–98 %, and are readily transformed into β‐hydroxy‐α‐amino acids by mild hydrolysis or into 2‐amino‐1,3‐diols by reduction with sodium borohydride. This new chemistry greatly facilitates the construction of novel antibiotics of several different classes.     

Enantio‐ and Chemoselective Differentiation of Protected α‐Amino Acids and β‐Homoamino Acids with a Single Copper(II) Host

The association between an achiral copper(II)‐containing host 1 and chiral carboxylates has been expanded beyond previous studies to new chiral carboxylate guests, both α‐amino acids and β‐homoamino acids. The observed exciton‐coupled circular dichroism (ECCD) signals for the enantiomers of each carboxylate were equal and opposite, and these signals differed in size and shape between the individual amino acids. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was applied as a statistical analysis technique to differentiate the amino acids, both enantioselectively and chemoselectively, giving the absolute configuration and identity of the amino acid. The identity of each of the α‐amino acids and β‐homoamino acids were determined independently by LDA, and then the two were considered together. Each of these analyses showed good differentiation of the amino acid guests with the use of only one host molecule.     

Synthesis of a new Class of Chiral β—Mercaptoalcohols from Amino Acids

The syntheses of three new optically active β-mercaptoalcohols,(R)-1,1-diphenyl-2-mercapto-3-methyl-1-butanol,(R)-1,1-diphenyl-2-mercapto-4-methyl-1-pentanol,and (R)-1,1-diphenyl-2-mercapto-1-benzenepropanol from the corresponding amino acids are described.The enantiomeric excesses of these β-mercaptoalcohols were determined by ^1H NMR as their (S)-mandeloyl derivatives.     

Synthesis of β‐Peptides with β‐Helices from New C‐Linked Carbo‐β‐Amino Acids: Study on the Impact of Carbohydrate Side Chains

The design and synthesis of β‐peptides from new C‐linked carbo‐β‐amino acids (β‐Caa) presented here, provides an opportunity to understand the impact of carbohydrate side chains on the formation and stability of helical structures. The β‐amino acids, Boc‐(S)‐β‐Caa_(g)‐OMe 1 and Boc‐(R)‐β‐Caa_(g)‐OMe 2 , having a D ‐galactopyranoside side chain were prepared from D ‐galactose. Similarly, the homo C‐linked carbo‐β‐amino acids (β‐hCaa); Boc‐(S)‐β‐hCaa_(x)‐OMe 3 and Boc‐(R)‐β‐hCaa_(x)‐OMe 4 , were prepared from D ‐glucose. The peptides derived from the above monomers were investigated by NMR, CD, and MD studies. The β‐peptides, especially the shorter ones obtained from the epimeric (at the amine stereocenter C_β) 1 and 2 by the concept of alternating chirality, showed a much smaller propensity to form 10/12‐helices. This substantial destabilization of the helix could be attributed to the bulkier D ‐galactopyranoside side chain. Our efforts to prepare peptides with alternating 3 and 4 were unsuccessful. However, the β‐peptides derived from alternating geometrically heterochiral (at C_β) 4 and Boc‐(R)‐β‐Caa_(x)‐OMe 5 (D ‐xylose side chain) display robust right‐handed 10/12‐helices, while the mixed peptides with alternating 4 and Boc‐β‐hGly‐OMe 6 (β‐homoglycine), resulted in left‐handed β‐helices. These observations show a distinct influence of the side chains on helix formation as well as their stability.     

Adding a Functional Handle to Nature′s Building Blocks: The Asymmetric Synthesis of β‐Hydroxy‐α‐Amino Acids

β‐Hydroxy‐α‐amino acids are not only used by synthetic chemists but are also found in natural products, many of which show anti‐microbial or anti‐cancer properties. Over the past 30 years, chemists have searched for many asymmetric routes to these useful building blocks. Initial attempts to synthesize these compounds utilized chiral auxiliaries and the reactions of glycine equivalents with aldehydes to form two stereocenters in one step. Other methods with the formation of specific intermediates or that were aimed at a specific amino acid have also been investigated. Asymmetric hydrogenation by dynamic kinetic resolution has emerged as a high‐yielding method for the synthesis of an array of modified amino acids with good stereoselectivity. More recently, amino‐acid functionalization and multicomponent reactions have increased the atom economy and simplified many long and difficult routes. In this Focus Review, many of the elegant syntheses of these compounds are explored. The applications of β‐hydroxy‐α‐amino acids in natural‐product synthesis are also mentioned.     

Bifunctional Guanidine via an Amino Amide Skeleton for Asymmetric Michael Reactions of β‐Ketoesters with Nitroolefins: A Concise Synthesis of Bicyclic β‐Amino Acids

Two activations are better than one : The chiral bifunctional guanidine 1 , which features an amino amide backbone, catalyzes the asymmetric Michael addition of a range of substrates and gives products with excellent stereoselectivities. The method also allows the efficient synthesis of optically pure β‐amino acid esters. Both the guanidine group and the NH proton of the amide were important for the dual activation.

     

Chemical Dynamic Kinetic Resolution and S/R Interconversion of Unprotected α‐Amino Acids

Reported herein is the first purely chemical method for the dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of unprotected racemic α‐amino acids (α‐AAs), a method which can rival the economic efficiency of the enzymatic reactions. The DKR reaction principle can be readily applied for S/R interconversions of α‐AAs, the methodological versatility of which is unmatched by biocatalytic approaches. The presented process features a virtually complete stereochemical outcome, fully recyclable source of chirality, and operationally simple and convenient reaction conditions, thus allowing its ready scalability. A quite unique and novel mode of the thermodynamic control over the stereochemical outcome, including an exciting interplay between axial, helical, and central elements of chirality is proposed.     

Enantioselective Synthesis of anti‐β‐Hydroxy‐α‐Amido Esters by Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation in Emulsions

Herein, we present two methods for an asymmetric transfer hydrogenation through the dynamic kinetic resolution of α‐amido‐β‐ketoesters. These procedures yield the corresponding anti‐β‐hydroxy‐α‐amido esters in good yields and with good diastereo‐ and enantioselectivities. First, the scope of the reduction of α‐amido‐β‐ketoesters by using triethylammonium formate azeotrope is examined. Then, an emulsion technology with sodium formate is explored, which allows for broader substrate scope, faster reaction times, and lower catalyst loading. Furthermore, these reactions are operationally simple and can be set up in air.