Asymmetric dehydration of β-hydroxy esters via kinetic resolution

Catalytic asymmetric dehydration of β-hydroxy esters via kinetic resolution has been investigated. The kinetic resolution of rac-β-hydroxy esters in the presence of prolinol chiral ligand 2a and BrZnCH₂CO₂t-Bu can provide highly enantioenriched β-hydroxy esters 3 and 5-11 with selectivity factors ranging from 15 to 42.     

N-Hydroxymethyl derivatives of α-amino aldehydes used for the stereoselective syntheses of β-amino-α-hydroxy acids

The N-hydroxymethyl derivatives of α-amino aldehydes 1 were utilized for the effective synthesis of several β-amino-α-hydroxy acid derivatives in a one-pot process starting from the corresponding α-amino aldehydes. Properly protected methyl esters 3 were prepared in 65–79% yields from α-amino aldehyde derivatives 1 with more than 20:1 stereoselectivity. The application of suitably protected β-amino-α-hydroxy esters was shown by an efficient synthesis of the bioactive peptide, bestatin, and its more potent analogue, AHPBA-Val, in high yields from ent-3a.     

Recent topics in the syntheses of β-keto carboxylic acids and the derivatives

β-Keto carboxylic acids are key intermediates in organic syntheses, used for the development of fine chemicals, natural products, and various biologically relevant molecules. Their utilities stem from the structural features and facile bond formations, e.g., asymmetric reduction of carbonyl groups for the synthesis of β-hydroxy carboxylic acids and conjugated addition reactions through decarboxylative enolate nucleophiles, which utilize the amphiphilic reactivity of β-keto carboxylic acids. Despite their versatility and utilities, development of efficient and straightforward synthetic methods for β-keto carboxylic acids has not attracted considerable attention owing to their instability. As efficient synthetic strategies for β-keto carboxylic acids and their derivatives, reactions of α-diazoesters, acylation of malonate anions, cross-coupling reactions, and CO₂ insertion reactions are summarized in this review.     

Lipase mediated sequential resolution of aromatic β-hydroxy esters using fatty acid derivatives

The lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolution of a series of aromatic β-hydroxy esters in organic media has been investigated. Decanoic acid and its esters were successfully used as acyl donors for selective O-acylation. The regio- and enantioselective enzymatic hydrolysis of the decanoate moiety of the diesters was also investigated. The effects of water, reaction temperature, and solvent type, and also the influence of substrates structure on the catalytic behavior of potential commercially available lipases were studied. A novel procedure was developed for the efficient and highly stereoselective synthesis of both enantiomers of both novel and known target compounds.     

Fluoroalkanosulfonyl fluorides-mediated cyclodehydration of β-hydroxy sulfonamides and β-hydroxy thioamides to the corresponding aziridines and thiazolines

An efficient method for the fluoroalkanosulfonyl fluoride-induced cyclodehydration of β-hydroxy sulfonamides and β-hydroxy thioamides to the corresponding aziridines and thiazolines is reported. Mild reaction conditions, operational simplicity, and high yields are the major advantages of this method.     

Asymmetric syntheses of α-methyl γ-amino acid derivatives

This project was undertaken to demonstrate the potential of asymmetric hydrogenations mediated by the chiral, carbene-oxazoline analogue of Crabtree's catalyst "cat" in asymmetric hydrogenations of allylic amine derivatives of amino acids. Peripheral features of the substrates (protecting groups, functional groups related by redox processes, and alkene geometries) were varied to optimize the stereochemical vectors exerted by the substrate and align them with the catalyst vector. N-Acetyl-protected, O-TBDPS-protected allylic substrates 9a-e emerged as the best for this reaction; syn-products were formed from the E-alkenes, while the Z-isomers gave anti-target materials, both with high diastereoselectivities. This study featured asymmetric catalysis to elaborate optically active substrates into more stereochemically complex chirons; we suggest that the approach used, optimization of stereocontrol by varying peripheral aspects of the substrate, tends to be easier than de novo catalyst design for each substrate type. In other words, optimization of the substrate vector is likely to be more facile than enhancement of the catalyst vector via ligand modifications.     

Efficient preparation of β-hydroxy aspartic acid and its derivatives

We reported an efficient and practical synthetic route to various properly-protected erythreo-β-OH-Asp compounds, which are key β-branched a-amino acid units in coralmycin A and other peptide natural products.     

Deuterium isotope effects in the thermal decomposition of β hydroxy ketones and β-hydroxy esters

Small primary and cumulative secondary isotope effects a determined experimentally by thermolysis of various β-hydroxy ketones and β-hydroxy esters.     

Silylene transfer to α-keto esters and application to the synthesis of γ-lactones

Disubstituted α-hydroxy acids have been synthesized by metal-catalyzed silylene transfer to α-keto esters. A range of substituents are tolerated in the transformation with the exception of branched groups at the vinylic position. The α-hydroxy acid products can be converted into γ-lactones using a variety of lactonization conditions.     

Diastereoselective α-alkylation of β-hydroxy sulfoxides and its application to the synthesis of (+)- and (3)-disparlure

α-Alkylation of the dianions of β-hydroxy sulfoxides proceeds with high 1, 2-asymmetric induction to give threo-α-alkyl-β-hydroxy sulfoxides. The utility of the present reaction was demonstrated in the asymmetric synthesis of (+)- and (3)-cis-7, 8-epoxy-2-methyloctadecanes (disparlure).     

A facile method for the synthesis of enantiopure α-unsubstituted β-hydroxy esters

One-pot deacylation–debromination reactions involving the transesterification of the initial chiral α-bromo-β-hydroxy thioimide aldol adducts and subsequent Al–Hg mediated reductive cleavage of the C–Br bond allow for a facile synthesis of enantiopure β-hydroxy esters.     

Organocatalytic preparation of simple β-hydroxy and β-amino esters: low catalyst loadings and gram-scale synthesis

A combined amino- and N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed one-pot reaction sequence for the synthesis of simple enantioenriched β-hydroxy and β-amino esters using commercially available catalysts at low catalyst loadings has been developed. The desired products were obtained in high yield and excellent enantiopurity. The generation of quaternary stereocenters and application in gram-scale synthesis were also realized, with no requirements of inert or anhydrous reaction conditions, thus making this transformation a highly practical protocol.     

SPANamine derivatives in the catalytic asymmetric α-fluorination of β-keto esters

The use of C₂-symmetric enantiopure nitrogen ligands in the asymmetric catalytic α-fluorination of β-ketoesters is described. SPANamine 1 in the presence of nickel salts gives up to 63% ee in the fluorination of tert-butyl 2-oxocyclopentanecarboxylate with N-fluorosuccinimide (NFSI). The same enantioselectivity is obtained when SPANamine 1 is used as an organocatalyst, although the reaction is much slower.     

Grob-type fragmentation of a carvone derived β-hydroxymesylate: application to the synthesis of chiral lavandulol derivatives

Grob-type fragmentation of the carvone derived diol-monosulphonate 5 has been utilised for the enantioselective synthesis of various lavandulol derivatives     

Asymmetric transfer hydrogenations of β-N-substituted enamino esters with ammonia borane

Optically active β-amino acids and their derivatives are very useful building blocks in synthetic and medicinal chemistry. The catalytic asymmetric reduction of β-enamino esters is one of the most efficient approaches for their synthesis. Ammonia borane with low molecular weight, high hydrogen capacity, and good stability, is an ideal hydrogen source for the transfer hydrogenation. However, only a few successful examples have been reported for the asymmetric reduction with ammonia borane. In this work, an asymmetric metal-free transfer hydrogenation of β-N-substituted enamino esters with ammoinia borane was successfully realized by using a frustrated Lewis pair of Piers’ borane and (S)-tert-butylsulfinamide as a chiral catalyst. A variety of β-amino acid derivatives were obtained in 51–90% yields with up to 91% ee.     

Asymmetric synthesis of β-amino acids through application of chiral sulfoxide

This paper describes asymmetric synthesis of β-aminophenylpropionic acid through application of a homochiral sulfoxide auxiliary. High kinetically controlled (3R,2S,R_S)-diastereoselectivity (−60°C) is achieved during addition of the lithium enolate of tert-butyl (+)-(R)-p-toluenesulfinylacetate to substituted N-(benzylidene)toluene-4-sulfonamides 2a–2d. The reductive cleavage of adduct 3a with sodium amalgam yielded tert-butyl 3-(toluene-4-sulfonamido)-3-phenylpropionate 5a, which was subjected to ester hydrolysis and subsequent detosylation with sodium in liquid ammonia to yield (S)-β-aminophenylpropionic acid in good yield and high 91% e.e.