Mechanism of pH-dependent photolysis of aliphatic amino acids and enantiomeric enrichment of racemic leucine by circularly polarized light

It has been proposed that the origin of biological homochirality may be the result of irradiation of a racemic sample of amino acids by circularly polarized light (CPL). To determine the mechanism of enantiomeric enrichment, the irradiation of aliphatic amino acids by CPL was undertaken. An enantiomerically enriched sample (e.g., L isomer enrichment from r-CPL) was found to result from the preferential excitation/decomposition of one enantiomer over another via a Norrish Type II mechanism (leucine, valine, and isoleucine), with the enantiomeric excess dependent on the degree of protonation of the amino/carboxylic acid moiety.     

Asymmetric Synthesis of β2‐homo‐tert‐Leucine via Radical Addition to Enantiopure N‐Fumaroylhexahydrobenzooxazolidin‐2‐one

β‐Amino acids are key structural elements in unnatural peptides, peptidomimetics, and many other physiologically active compounds. In view of their importance, we have developed an efficient synthetic route that provides highly enantiomerically enriched (R)‐ and (S)‐H‐β²‐h^tLeu‐OH via highly diastereo‐ and regioselective addition of tert‐butyl radical to enantiomerically pure N‐fumaroyloxazolidinones, followed by removal of the chiral auxiliary, Curtius rearrangement, ester hydrolysis, and catalytic hydrogenolysis.     

Facile Two‐Step Synthesis of 1,10‐Phenanthroline‐Derived Polyaza[7]helicenes with High Fluorescence and CPL Efficiency

A facile two‐step synthesis of aza[7]helicenes possessing a 6‐5‐6‐6‐6‐5‐6 skeleton from commercially available 2,9‐dichloro‐1,10‐phenanthroline via double amination with aniline derivatives followed by hypervalent iodine reagent‐mediated intramolecular double‐NH/CH couplings was developed. Single‐crystal X‐ray analyses of the helicenes revealed unique structures, including both a significantly twisted center and planar terminals of the skeleton. The azahelicenes show high fluorescent quantum yields (Φ s) under both neutral (Φ : 0.25–0.55) and acidic conditions (Φ : up to 0.80). An enantiomerically pure aza[7]helicene showed high circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) activity under both neutral and acidic conditions (g _lum: up to 0.009).     

Absolute asymmetric photoreactions of aliphatic amino acids by circularly polarized synchrotron radiation: critically pH-dependent photobehavior

The absolute asymmetric photoreaction (AAP) of racemic aliphatic amino acids, such as alanine (Ala) and leucine (Leu), by left- and right-handed circularly polarized light (l- and r-CPL) irradiation was investigated in aqueous solutions at various pHs, by using the Onuki-type polarizing undulator installed in an electron storage ring. The magnitude of the optical purity (op) generated and the enantiomer-enriching mechanism operative in the AAP were found to be entirely dependent on the ionic state (and thus pH) of the amino/carboxylic acid moieties. At pH 1, the op of Ala and Leu determined by circular dichroism (CD) spectral measurement gradually developed with CPL irradiation, according to Kagan's equation. In contrast, irradiation at pH 7 gave op's much smaller than the theoretical values predicted by Kagan's equation. However, it turned out that the photodecomposition at pH 7 produces the corresponding alpha-hydroxycarboxylic acids stereoselectively, the CD sign of which is just opposite to that of the remaining amino acid, thus affording the apparently small op. It is concluded that, irrespective of solution pH, the AAP of amino acid proceeds upon CPL irradiation. At pH 1, the photodecomposition of valine, Leu, and isoleucine occurs via a Norrish type II mechanism, which is also applicable to other amino acids possessing a gamma-hydrogen. In the case of amino acids lacking a gamma-hydrogen, such as glycine and Ala, the photodecomposition mechanism is a photodeamination/hydroxylation and a Norrish type I reaction. At pH 7, the main photoproducts were ammonia and alpha-hydroxycarboxylic acids that were produced via photodeamination.     

Aminomethylation of Enals through Carbene and Acid Cooperative Catalysis: Concise Access to β2‐Amino Acids

A convergent, organocatalytic asymmetric aminomethylation of α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes by N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and (in situ generated) Brønsted acid cooperative catalysis is disclosed. The catalytically generated conjugated acid from the base plays dual roles in promoting the formation of azolium enolate intermediate, formaldehyde‐derived iminium ion (as an electrophilic reactant), and methanol (as a nucleophilic reactant). This redox‐neutral strategy is suitable for the scalable synthesis of enantiomerically enriched β²‐amino acids bearing various substituents.     

Synthesis and Conformational Analysis of Pentapeptides Containing Enantiomerically Pure 2,2‐Disubstituted Glycines

The synthesis and conformational analysis of model pentapeptides with the sequence Z‐Leu‐Aib‐Xaa‐Gln‐Valol is described. These peptides contain two 2,2‐disubstituted glycines (α,α‐disubstituted α‐amino acids), i.e., Aib (aminoisobutyric acid), and a series of unsymmetrically substituted, enantiomerically pure amino acids Xaa. These disubstituted amino acids were incorporated into the model peptides via the ‘azirine/oxazolone method’. Conformational analysis was performed in solution by means of NMR techniques and, in the solid state, by X‐ray crystallography. Both methods show that the backbones of these model peptides adopt helical conformations, as expected for 2,2‐disubstitued glycine‐containing peptides.     

Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Trifluoromethylated γ‐Amino Acids through the Umpolung Addition of Trifluoromethyl Imines to Carboxylic Acid Derivatives

Novel cinchona alkaloid derived chiral phase‐transfer catalysts enabled the highly chemo‐, regio‐, diastereo‐, and enantioselective umpolung addition of trifluoromethyl imines to α,β‐unsaturated N‐acyl pyrroles. With a catalyst loading ranging from 0.2 to 5.0 mol %, this new catalytic asymmetric transformation provides facile and high‐yielding access to highly enantiomerically enriched chiral trifluoromethylated γ‐amino acids and γ‐lactams.     

Peptide models XXXI. Conformational properties of hydrophobic residues shaping the core of proteins. An ab initio study of N‐formyl‐L‐valinamide and N‐formyl‐L‐phenylalaninamide

Employing introductory (3‐21G RHF) and medium‐size (6‐311++G** B3LYP) ab initio calculations, complete conformational libraries, containing as many as 27 conformers, have been determined for diamide model systems incorporating the amino acids valine (Val) and phenylalanine (Phe). Conformational and energetic properties of these libraries were analyzed. For example, significant correlation was found between relative energies from 6‐311++G** B3LYP and single‐point B3LYP/6‐311++G**//RHF/3‐21G calculations. Comparison of populations of molecular conformations of hydrophobic aromatic and nonaromatic residues, based on their ab initiorelative energies, with their natural abundance indicates that, at least for the hydrophobic core of proteins, the conformations of Val (Ile, Leu) and Phe (Tyr, Trp) are controlled by the local energetic preferences of the respective amino acids. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 22: 732–751, 2001     

Enantioselective Copper‐Catalyzed Intermolecular Amino‐ and Azidocyanation of Alkenes in a Radical Process

Asymmetric copper‐catalyzed intermolecular amino‐ and azidocyanation reactions of alkenes have been developed that proceed via a radical process in which a key benzylic radical intermediate is enantioselectively trapped by a chiral Box/Cu^II cyanide complex. A variety of enantiomerically enriched β‐amino/azido alkylnitriles were efficiently synthesized. The β‐azido alkylnitriles could be converted into a series of highly valuable optically active amine‐based building blocks and bioactive compounds.     

Crystalline Phase Separation of Racemic and Nonracemic Zwitterionic α‐Amino Acid Amphiphiles in a Phospholipid Environment at the Air/Water Interface: A Grazing‐Incidence X‐Ray Diffraction Study

A grazing‐incidence X‐ray‐diffraction (GIXD) study of the self‐assembly, on water, of nonracemic γ‐stearyl glutamic acid (pure or as a mixture with racemic or (S)‐1,2‐dipalmitoyl‐glycero‐3‐phosphoethanolamine (DPPE)) demonstrated a phase separation of the α‐amino acid amphiphile into racemic and enantiomorphous two‐dimensional crystallites within the phospholipid domains. The packing arrangements of the two α‐amino acid crystalline phases were identical to those found in the absence of DPPE and have been determined, at almost atomic resolution, by X‐ray structure‐factor calculations. By contrast, racemic and nonracemic N^ε‐stearoyllysine spontaneously segregated into two‐dimensional enantiomorphous domains within the DPPE environment that induced a change in the tilt direction of the hydrocarbon chains of the α‐amino acid molecules. Phase separation of nonracemic amphiphiles, originating from preferred lateral homochiral or heterochiral intermolecular interactions, is in agreement with the formation of enantiomerically pure or enriched homochiral oligopeptides in overrepresented amounts in the polycondensation of activated nonracemic amphiphilic α‐amino acids on plain water or within phospholipid monolayers.     

Rhodium‐Catalyzed Arylation of Cyclopropenes Based on Asymmetric Direct Functionalization of Three‐Membered Carbocycles

A variety of highly diastereo‐ and enantiomerically enriched arylcyclopropanes is obtained through the asymmetric rhodium‐catalyzed arylation reaction of achiral nonfunctionalized cyclopropene derivatives with commercially available aryl boronic acids in the presence of (R,S)‐Josiphos.     

Chiral Sensing of Various Amino Acids Using Induced Circularly Polarized Luminescence from Europium(III) Complexes of Phenanthroline Dicarboxylic Acid Derivatives

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) was observed from [Eu(dppda)₂]^? (dppda=4,7‐diphenyl‐1,10‐phenanthroline‐2,9‐dicarboxylic acid) and [Eu(pzpda)₂]^? (pzpda=pyrazino[2,3‐f][1,10]phenanthroline‐7,10‐dicarboxylic acid) in aqueous solutions containing various amino acids. The selectivity of these complexes towards amino acids enabled them to be used as chiral sensors and their behavior was compared with that of [Eu(pda)₂]^? (pda=1,10‐phenanthroline‐2,9‐dicarboxylic acid). As these Eu^III complexes have achiral D_2d structures under ordinary conditions, there were no CPL signals in the emission assigned to f–f transitions. However, when the solutions contained particular amino acids they exhibited detectable CPL signals with g_lum values of about 0.1 (g_lum=CPL/2 TL; TL=total luminescence). On examining 13 amino acids with these three Eu^III complexes, it was found that whether an amino acid induced a detectable CPL depended on the Eu^III complex ligands. For example, when ornithine was used as a chiral agent, only [Eu(dppda)₂]^? exhibited intense CPL in aqueous solutions of 10^?2 mol dm^?3. Steep amino acid concentration dependence suggested that CPL in [Eu(dppda)₂]^? and [Eu(pzpda)₂]^? was induced by the association of four or more amino acid molecules, whereas CPL in [Eu(pda)₂]^? was induced by association of two arginine molecules.     

Microscopic Imaging of Chiral Amino Acids in Agar Gel through Circularly Polarized Luminescence of EuIII Complex

We recently found that [Eu(pda)₂]^? (pda: 1,10‐phenanthroline‐2,9‐dicarboxylic acid), which has an achiral structure in crystals, exhibits circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) in aqueous solutions containing chiral amino acids such as arginine and histidine. CPL measurements were performed for agar gel, which includes an aqueous solution of [Eu(pda)₂]^? and chiral arginine or histidine. The spectral shape, concentration, and pH dependences on CPL intensity in the agar gels were very close to those in aqueous solutions, indicating that the CPL of the Eu^III complex in the agar gels was induced by mechanism similar to that in aqueous solutions. We performed spatially resolved CPL measurements using a laboratory‐built microscopic CPL spectroscopic system for agar‐gel samples, where d ‐ and l ‐ amino acids were separately dispersed. We successfully recorded CPL imaging maps showing spatial dispersions of d ‐ and l ‐amino acid in the agar gels.     

Synthesis of Macrocyclic Insect‐Derived Alkaloids

Macrocyclic lactonic alkaloids found in the pupal secretions of two species of a coccinellid beetle (genus Epilachna) were prepared in enantiomerically pure form via an efficient synthetic route using enantiomerically pure α‐amino acids as chiral‐pool starting materials. Macrocycles with rings containing up to 98 atoms were synthesized in good yield using Mukaiyama's macrolactonization conditions.     

A General Strategy for the Synthesis of Enantiomerically Pure Azetidines and Aziridines through Nickel‐Catalyzed Cross‐Coupling

In this communication, we report a straightforward synthesis of enantiomerically pure 2‐alkyl azetidines. The protocol is based on a highly regioselective nickel‐catalyzed cross‐coupling of aliphatic organozinc reagents with an aziridine that features a tethered thiophenyl group. Activation by methylation transforms the sulfide into an excellent leaving group and triggers the formation of the 2‐substituted azetidine core structure by cyclization. In addition, we have expanded this concept to the synthesis of enantiomerically pure, terminal alkyl aziridines. Coupling of a TMS‐protected aziridine alcohol, followed by acidic work‐up to remove the silyl group, provides 1,2‐amino alcohol products that are readily cyclized to aziridines. Both of these sequences display excellent functional group tolerance and deliver the desired azetidine and aziridine products in good to excellent yields.     

2,2′‐Diamino‐6,6′‐diboryl‐1,1′‐binaphthyl: A Versatile Building Block for Temperature‐Dependent Dual Fluorescence and Switchable Circularly Polarized Luminescence

Temperature‐dependent dual fluorescence and switchable circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) are two highly pursued but challenging properties for small organic molecules (SOMs). We herein disclose a triarylborane π‐system based on a 2,2′‐diamino‐6,6′‐diboryl‐1,1′‐binaphthyl scaffold that can serve as a versatile building block for achieving these two properties by simply choosing different amino groups. BNMe₂‐BNaph with less bulky dimethylamino groups displays temperature‐dependent dual fluorescence, and can thus be used as a highly sensitive ratiometric fluorescence thermometer. On the other hand, BNPh₂‐BNaph with bulky diphenylamino groups exhibits intense fluorescence in both solution and in the solid state. A change of solvent from nonpolar cyclohexane to highly polar MeCN not only shifts the CPL position to much longer wavelength but also inverts the CPL sign. In addition, the complexation of BNPh₂‐BNaph with fluoride greatly enhances the CPL intensity.     

Enantiomeric Separations of Acidic and Neutral Compounds by Capillary Electrochromatography with β‐Cyclodextrin‐Bonded Positively Charged Polyacrylamide Gels

The novel enantiomeric separation of acidic and neutral compounds by capillary electrochromatography with β‐cyclodextrin‐bonded positively charged polyacrylamide gels was examined. The columns used are capillaries filled with a positively charged polyacrylamide gel, a so‐called monolithic stationary phase, to which allyl carbamoylated β‐CD derivatives covalently bind. The capillary wall was activated first by bifunctional reagent to make the resulting gel bind covalently inside the fused‐silica tubing. Enantiomeric separations of sixteen acidic and two neutral compounds were achieved using the above‐mentioned columns and 200 mmol dm^–3 Tris–300 mmol dm^–3 boric acid buffer (pH 8.1) as a mobile phase. High efficiencies of up to 150 000 plates m^–1 were obtained for dansyl‐DL‐amino acids. The within‐run and between‐run reproducibilities of retention time and separation factor were examined for three dansyl‐DL‐amino acids and warfarin. The relative standard deviations of the within‐run and between‐run reproducibilities of retention time were less than 1.2 and 1.3% over the six injections, respectively. Those of the separation factor were less than 0.3 and 0.2%, respectively. The gel‐filled capillaries were stable for at least four months with intermittent use.     

Mono‐6A‐(4‐methoxybutylamino)‐6A‐β‐cyclodextrin as a chiral selector for enantiomeric separation

A new member of the family of methoxylalkylamino monosubstituted β‐cyclodextrins, mono‐6^A‐(4‐methoxybutylamino)‐6^A‐β‐cyclodextrin, has been developed as a chiral selector for enantioseparation in capillary electrophoresis. This amino cyclodextrin exhibited good enantioselectivities for 16 model acidic racemates including three dansyl amino acids at an optimum pH of 6.0. Excellent chiral resolutions over six were obtained for α‐hydroxy acids and 2‐phenoxypropionic acids with 3.0 mM chiral selector. The good chiral recognition for α‐hydroxyl acids was attributed to inclusion complexation, electrostatic interactions, and hydrogen bonding. The hydrogen‐bonding‐enhanced chiral recognition was revealed by NMR spectroscopy. The chiral separation of acidic racemates was further improved with the addition of methanol (≤10 vol%) as an organic additive.     

Rhodium‐Catalyzed Enantioselective Arylation of Aliphatic Imines

Chiral rhodium(I)‐catalyzed highly enantioselective arylation of aliphatic N‐sulfonyl aldimines with arylboronic acids has been developed. This transformation is achieved by the use of a rhodium/bis(phosphoramidite) catalyst to give enantiomerically enriched α‐branched amines (up to 99 % ee). In addition, this system enables efficient synthesis of (+)‐NPS R‐568 and Cinacalcet which are calcimimetic agents.     

Aminosäuren und die Entstehung des Lebens. Spuren aus dem Weltraum

In order to better understand the origin of life on Earth the most recent chemical experiments are presented that successfully simulated the prebiotic genesis of amino acids. Surprisingly, laboratory samples of interstellar ice do not only contain classic amino acids but also diamino acids. Diamino acids are discussed to have triggered the appearance of the first genetic material, the peptide nucleic acid, on Earth. The European Rosetta‐mission that will pose a lander on a cometary surface hopefully will verify the outlined hypotheses on modern theories on the origin of life on Earth by analyzing cometary ice samples in situ.