A Study on the Diastereoselective Synthesis of α‐Fluorinated β3‐Amino Acids by α‐Fluorination

The treatment of a β³‐amino acid methyl ester with 2.2 equiv. of lithium diisopropylamide (LDA), followed by reaction with 5 equiv. of N‐fluorobenzenesulfonimide (NFSI) at ?78° for 2.5 h and then 2 h at 0°, gives syn‐fluorination with high diastereoisomeric excess (de). The de and yield in these reactions are somewhat influenced by both the size of the amino acid side chain and the nature of the amine protecting group. In particular, fluorination of N‐Boc‐protected β³‐homophenylalanine, β³‐homoleucine, β³‐homovaline, and β³‐homoalanine methyl esters, 5 and 9 – 11 , respectively, all proceeded with high de (>86% of the syn‐isomer). However, fluorination of N‐Boc‐protected β³‐homophenylglycine methyl ester ( 16 ) occurred with a significantly reduced de. The use of a Cbz or Bz amine‐protecting group (see 3 and 15 ) did not improve the de of fluorination. However, an N‐Ac protecting group (see 17 ) gave a reduced de of 26%. Thus, a large N‐protecting group should be employed in order to maximize selectivity for the syn‐isomer in these fluorination reactions.     

The ‘Azirine/Oxazolone Method’ on Solid Phase: Introduction of Various α,α‐Disubstituted α‐Amino Acids

Peptides containing various α,α‐disubstituted α‐amino acids, such as α‐aminoisobutyric acid (Aib), 1‐aminocyclopentane‐1‐carboxylic acid, α‐methylphenylalanine, and 3‐amino‐3,4,5,6‐tetrahydro‐2H‐pyran‐3‐carboxylic acid have been synthesized from the N‐ to the C‐terminus by the ‘azirine/oxazolone method’ under solid‐phase conditions. In this convenient method for the synthesis of sterically demanding peptides on solid‐phase, 2H‐azirin‐3‐amines are used to introduce the α,α‐disubstituted α‐amino acids without the need for additional reagents. Furthermore, the synthesis of poly(Aib) sequences has been explored.     

Stereoselective Preparation of 3‐Amino‐2‐fluoro Carboxylic Acid Derivatives,and Their Incorporation in Tetrahydropyrimidin‐4(1H)‐ones,and in Open‐Chain and Cyclic β‐Peptides

The preparation of (2S,3S)‐ and (2R,3S)‐2‐fluoro and of (3S)‐2,2‐difluoro‐3‐amino carboxylic acid derivatives, 1 – 3 , from alanine, valine, leucine, threonine, and β³h‐alanine (Schemes 1 and 2, Table) is described. The stereochemical course of (diethylamino)sulfur trifluoride (DAST) reactions with N,N‐dibenzyl‐2‐amino‐3‐hydroxy and 3‐amino‐2‐hydroxy carboxylic acid esters is discussed (Fig. 1). The fluoro‐β‐amino acid residues have been incorporated into pyrimidinones ( 11 – 13 ; Fig. 2) and into cyclic β‐tri‐ and β‐tetrapeptides 17 – 19 and 21 – 23 (Scheme 3) with rigid skeletons, so that reliable structural data (bond lengths, bond angles, and Karplus parameters) can be obtained. β‐Hexapeptides Boc[(2S)‐β³hXaa(αF)]₆OBn and Boc[β³hXaa(α,αF₂)]₆‐OBn, 24 – 26 , with the side chains of Ala, Val, and Leu, have been synthesized (Scheme 4), and their CD spectra (Fig. 3) are discussed. Most compounds and many intermediates are fully characterized by IR‐ and ¹H‐, ¹³C‐ and ¹⁹F‐NMR spectroscopy, by MS spectrometry, and by elemental analyses, [α]_D and melting‐point values.     

A New Route to N‐Aryl 2‐Alkenamides,N‐Allyl N‐Aryl 2‐Alkenamides,and N‐Aryl α,β‐Unsaturated γ‐Lactams from N‐Aryl 3‐(Phenylsulfonyl)propanamides

A series of N‐aryl 2‐alkenamides were produced efficiently by treating N‐aryl 3‐(phenylsulfonyl)‐propanamides with potassium tert‐butoxide in THF at 0°C. With out isolation, it was further treated with an additional equivalent of potassium tert‐butoxide and allyl bromide to give N‐allyl N‐aryl 2‐alkenamides in one pot in good yields. Followed by a ring‐closing metathesis reaction, these N‐allyl N‐aryl 2‐alkenamides were respectively converted into corresponding N‐aryl α,β‐unsaturated γ‐lactams in moderate yields.     

The Wolff Rearrangement of α-Diazo Carbonyl Compounds

The readily accessible α-diazo carbonyl compounds are distinguished by their high reactivity, which opens up a variety of preparative applications under modified conditions. Wolff rearrangements of these compounds, induced thermally, photochemically, or catalytically, afford ketenes. Free and complexed carbenes, 1,3-dipoles, 1,3-diradicals, and the antiaromatic oxirenes have been considered as intermediates or transition states. The present progress report attempts to integrate preparative and theoretical aspects.     

The Structural Characterization of Folded Peptides Containing the Conformationally Constrained β‐Amino Acid Residue β2,2Ac6c

Backbone alkylation has been shown to result in a dramatic reduction in the conformational space that is sterically accessible to α‐amino acid residues in peptides. By extension, the presence of geminal dialkyl substituents at backbone atoms also restricts available conformational space for β and γ residues. Five peptides containing the achiral β^2,2‐disubstituted β‐amino acid residue, 1‐(aminomethyl)cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (β^2,2Ac₆c), have been structurally characterized in crystals by X‐ray diffraction. The tripeptide Boc‐Aib‐β^2,2Ac₆c‐Aib‐OMe ( 1 ) adopts a novel fold stabilized by two intramolecular H‐bonds (C₁₁ and C₉) of opposite directionality. The tetrapeptide Boc‐[Aib‐β^2,2Ac₆c]₂‐OMe ( 2 ) and pentapeptide Boc‐[Aib‐β^2,2Ac₆c]₂‐Aib‐OMe ( 3 ) form short stretches of a hybrid αβ C₁₁ helix stabilized by two and three intramolecular H‐bonds, respectively. The structure of the dipeptide Boc‐Aib‐β^2,2Ac₆c‐OMe ( 5 ) does not reveal any intramolecular H‐bond. The aggregation pattern in the crystal provides an example of an extended conformation of the β^2,2Ac₆c residue, forming a ‘polar sheet’ like H‐bond. The protected derivative Ac‐β^2,2Ac₆c‐NHMe ( 4 ) adopts a locally folded gauche conformation about the C_β? C_α bonds (θ=?55.7°). Of the seven examples of β^2,2Ac₆c residues reported here, six adopt gauche conformations, a feature which promotes local folding when incorporated into peptides. A comparison between the conformational properties of β^2,2Ac₆c and β^3,3Ac₆c residues, in peptides, is presented. Backbone torsional parameters of H‐bonded αβ/βα turns are derived from the structures presented in this study and earlier reports.     

Formal Aminocyanation of α,β‐Unsaturated Cyclic Enones for the Efficient Synthesis of α‐Amino Ketones

Installation of amino functionality on organic molecules through direct C N bond formation is an important research objective. To achieve this goal, a 1,2‐aminocyanation reaction was developed. The reaction occurs through the formation of pyrazolines by means of a formal dipolar cycloaddition of cyclic α,β‐unsaturated ketones with lithium trimethylsilyldiazomethane followed by novel protonolytic N N bond cleavage under mild conditions. This two‐step process provides a diverse array of structurally complex free and mono‐alkylated α‐amino ketones in excellent yields.     

Synthesis of β3‐Homophenylalanine‐Derived Amino Acids and Peptides by Suzuki Coupling in Solution and on Solid Support

β‐Peptides and, to a certain extent, also mixed α,β‐peptides, are resistant to degradation by a variety of proteolytic enzymes that rapidly degrade natural α‐peptides. This is one of many characteristics that make β‐peptides an attractive class of compounds for drug‐discovery studies. On the other hand, modern organometallic reactions such as the Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling have become standard tools in industry laboratories to derivatize side chains of α‐peptidic compounds to build up libraries of unnatural peptides. Combining both features, we prepared (4‐bromo)‐β³‐homophenylalanine derivatives 3 – 5 and 12 as precursors for Suzuki–Miyaura couplings. From these bromo compounds, we synthesized biaryl‐substituted β‐homoamino acids 6 , and analogs 13 and 15 of the anti‐AIDS drug Saquinavir.