Enzyme-catalyzed preparation of methyl (R)-N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)alaninate: a key intermediate for (R)-metalaxyl

A biocatalytic approach for the production of (R)-metalaxyl, mefenoxam, has been developed. A practical synthesis of methyl (R)-N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)alaninate, a key intermediate for (R)-metalaxyl, has been developed by the use of lipase-catalyzed hydrolytic kinetic resolution and chemical racemization of the remaining ester. At high concentrations in aqueous media (300 g/L) lipases were stable and gave moderate to good conversions and excellent enantioselectivities (>98% ee). A simple extraction procedure was used to separate the acid product from the remaining ester and the acid was esterified with methanol to give methyl (R)-N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)alaninate without any reduction in enantiomeric excess (>98% ee). Subsequent chemical coupling with methoxyacetyl chloride provided enantiomerically pure (R)-metalaxyl (>98% ee) without racemization.     

Enzymatic kinetic resolution of tropic acid

A new strategy has been developed for the CAL-B catalysed kinetic resolution of tropic acid by which both enantiomers of tropic acid can be obtained in good enantiomeric excess. (R)-Tropic acid was synthesised with 90% ee and (S)-tropic acid butyl ester in 99% ee by the hydrolysis of tropic acid butyl ester. The other enantiomers were available through the enzymatically catalysed reaction of tropic acid lactone with butanol to give (S)-tropic acid lactone and (R)-tropic acid ester in >98% ee.     

Novel and enantioselective syntheses of (R)- and (S)-3-hydroxy-4-(2,4,5-trifluorophenyl)butanoic acid: a synthon for sitagliptin and its derivatives

A new synthetic strategy for (R)- and (S)-3-hydroxy-4-(2,4,5-trifluorophenyl)butanoic acid, a building block in the preparation of sitagliptin and its derivatives, was developed. Pd(OAc)₂ catalyzed coupling of 2,4,5-trifluoro-1-iodobenzene with allyl alcohol gave 3-(2,4,5-trifluorophenyl)propanal in a yield of 95%. l-Proline catalyzed reaction of the 3-phenylpropanal (in only 1.2 molar equiv) with nitrosobenzene followed by reduction with NaBH₄ and Pd/C catalyzed hydrogenation gave (R)-3-(2,4,5-trifluorophenyl)propane-1,2-diol with >99% ee and 65% yield. Selective tosylation of primary hydroxyl group of the 1,2-propandiol unit followed by cyanide displacement afforded (R)-3-hydroxy-4-(2,4,5-trifluorophenyl)butanenitrile (80%). The nitrile was converted to the title β-hydroxy acid under basic hydrolysis in a yield of 90%. Thus, (R)-3-hydroxy-4-(2,4,5-trifluorophenyl)butanoic acid was prepared enantioselectively from the starting material in four steps and 45% overall yield. The reaction sequence was repeated with d-proline as the catalyst to give (S)-3-hydroxy-4-(2,4,5-trifluorophenyl)butanoic acid in 45% overall yield and >99% enantiomeric excess.     

The synthesis of 1-hydroxy phosphonates of high enantiomeric excess using sequential asymmetric reactions: titanium alkoxide-catalyzed PC bond formation and kinetic resolution

Titanium alkoxide-catalyzed asymmetric phosphonylation of aldehydes yields hydroxy phosphonates in moderate to good enantiomeric excess (e.e.s ∼70%). The hydroxy phosphonates were acetylated and the acetates were subjected to enzyme-catalyzed kinetic resolution. The non-racemic acetates 2 (predominantly (R)-enantiomer) were hydrolyzed with an (R)-enantiomer-selective lipase, resulting predominantly in the hydrolysis of the (R)-isomer (at 85% conversion) to give the alcohols 3 with high e.e. Alternatively, hydrolysis of the minor enantiomeric (S)-acetate to approximately 20% conversion left the enriched (R)-configured acetate with improved e.e. (>90%). The moderate enantioselectivities obtained in the catalytic PC bond formation are enhanced during the enzymatic hydrolysis. Furthermore, availability of the non-racemic phosphonates permits the use of less selective enzymes, resulting in higher yields in comparison with the standard resolution of racemic materials.     

Selectivity enhancement of enantio- and stereo-complementary epoxide hydrolases and chemo-enzymatic deracemization of (±)-2-methylglycidyl benzyl ether

The kinetic resolution of (±)-2-methylglycidyl benzyl ether was achieved via enantioselective biohydrolysis using microbial and plant epoxide hydrolases. Depending on the type of enzyme, opposite enantiopreference and stereo-complementary mode of action (i.e., retention vs inversion of configuration) led to hetero- and homochiral product mixtures. Optimization of the reaction conditions for Rhodococcus sp. R312 led to significantly enhanced enantioselectivity (E >200), which enabled the deracemization of (±)-2-methylglycidyl benzyl ether via biohydrolysis (proceeding with retention of configuration) followed by inverting acid-catalyzed hydrolysis to furnish (R)-1-benzyloxy-2-methylpropane-2,3-diol in >97% ee and 78% yield from the racemate.     

Enzyme-catalysed improved resolution of (RS)-4-cyano-4-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-4-isopropyl-1-butanol

Resolutions of (RS)-4-cyano-4-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-4-isopropyl-1-butanol 1 using various enzymes were performed. Among them, Pseudomonas fluorescens resolved it with moderate stereoselectivity (E=13) and reacted faster with the (S)-enantiomer. To optimize enzyme-catalysed reaction conditions for the resolution, the effect of solvents and additives was studied. In n-hexane:ethyl acetate (9:1), both reaction rate and selectivity were high. When pyridine, potassium carbonate and molecular sieves were used as additives, the enantiomeric excess of the (R)-enantiomer was 99, 99 and 98% at 52–60% conversion, respectively. However, in diisopropyl ether, the enantiomeric excess of unreacted alcohol (R)-1 was up to 99% at 70% conversion without additives.     

Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of (R)- and (S)-3,4-dichlorophenylbutanolide intermediate in the synthesis of sertraline

3,4-Dichlorophenacylchloride was reduced with whole cell biocatalysts to give the (R)- or (S)-chlorohydrine in high yields and good to high enantiomeric excess. Yields and enantiomeric purity of the (S)-enantiomer were increased to 95 and >98%, respectively, using growing cells from Geotrichum candidum (CBS 233.76) in the presence of hydrophobic adsorbing resins at 4 g/l. The latter compound was transformed into (R)-3,4-dichlorophenylbutanolide, intermediate in the synthesis of (+)-cis-1S,4S-sertraline.     

Preparation of (R)- and (S)-6-hydroxybuspirone by enzymatic resolution or hydroxylation

6-Hydroxybuspirone is an active metabolite of the antianxiety drug buspirone. The (R)- and (S)-enantiomers of 6-hydroxybuspirone were prepared using an enzymatic resolution process. l-Amino acid acylase from Aspergillus melleus (Amano Acylase 30000) was used to hydrolyze racemic 6-acetoxybuspirone to (S)-6-hydroxybuspirone in 95% ee after 45% conversion. The remaining (R)-6-acetoxybuspirone with 88% ee was converted to (R)-6-hydroxybuspirone by acid hydrolysis. The ee of both enantiomers could be improved to 99% by crystallization as a metastable polymorph. (S)-6-Hydroxybuspirone was also obtained in 88% ee and 14.5% yield by hydroxylation of buspirone using Streptomyces antibioticus ATCC 14890.     

Towards enantiomeric 2,3-epoxypropylphosphonates

Hydrolysis of diethyl 2,3-epoxypropylphosphonate in the presence of (R,R)-salen–Co(III)-OAc after 19 h afforded a mixture of (S)-epoxide (82% ee) and diethyl (R)-2,3-dihydroxypropylphosphonate (98% ee). Improved enantiomeric excess (93%) of the (S)-epoxide was obtained in the 72 h hydrolytic kinetic resolution experiment. Acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of (S)-epoxide (91% ee) gave (S)-diol (72% ee) due to low C-3 regioselectivity of the reaction.     

Lipase catalyzed acylation of primary alcohols with remotely located stereogenic centres: the resolution of (±)-4,4-dimethyl-3-phenyl-1-pentanol

Enantioselective acylation of some (±)-3-alkyl-3-phenyl-1-propanols was performed with enzymes as catalysts. Moderate enantiomeric ratios (E), ranging up to E = 11.6, were obtained. In the resolution, some of the lipases selectively acylated the (+)-enantiomer while others acylated the (−)-enantiomer of the γ-substituted primary alcohols 1–4. Thus, it is possible to obtain both enantiomers of the alcohols as remaining substrate with high enantiomeric purity. The resolution of (±)-4,4-dimethyl-3-phenyl-1-pentanol 4 was extensively studied and screening experiments were conducted to select suitable lipase(s), reaction medium, acyl donor and appropriate temperature combinations to increase the enantiomeric ratio. Chirazyme^® L-6/chloroform/vinyl propionate/38 °C and Chirazyme^® L-7/di-iso-propyl ether/vinyl propionate/0 °C were chosen to obtain both enantiomers, (R)-(+)-4 and (S)-(−)-4, respectively, via sequential resolutions in excellent enantiomeric excess (>98%) and in 25% and 22% yield, respectively.     

High-yielding metalloenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution of fluorinated aryl alcohols

Dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of various fluorinated aryl alcohols by a combination of lipase-catalyzed enzymatic resolution with in situ ruthenium-catalyzed alcohol racemization is described. (R)-Selective Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) was employed for transesterification of different fluoroaryl alcohols in DKR reactions delivering the corresponding acetates in high yield (?97%) with excellent enantiomeric excess (?98%).     

Enantioselective bioreduction of (E)-1-phenyl-1,2-alkanedione 2-(O-methyloxime)

The baker's yeast reduction of (E)-1-phenyl-1,2-alkanedione 2-(O-methyloxime), PhC(O)C(NOMe)R (R=Me, Et, n-Pr, n-Bu), gave the corresponding optically active alcohols PhCH₂OHC(NOMe)R in 88–99% enantiomeric excess and 48–75% chemical yield. The R configuration was proposed for these alcohols based on circular dichroism analysis. Only the phenylglyoxal O-methylaldoxime (R=H) gave poor enantiomeric excess (65%) and chemical yield (14%). These compounds are potential chiral building blocks for the stereoselective synthesis of norephedrine analogs.     

Highly efficient double enantioselection by lipase-catalyzed transesterification of (R,S)-carboxylic acid vinyl esters with (RS)-1-phenylethanol

Transesterification of the title compounds using lipase B from Candida antarctica in toluene afforded the corresponding esters in good to excellent diastereomeric excess. (R)-2-Phenylpropionic acid-(R)-1-phenethyl ester 4 was isolated in 45% yield and 64% de after 2.5 h, whereas (R)-2-phenylbutyric acid-(R)-1-phenethyl ester 5 was obtained in 40% yield and 56% de after 35 h. A single recrystallization from n-hexane gave 4 with 98% de. In all reactions CAL-B showed excellent enantioselectivity (E >100) toward (RS)-1-phenylethanol and moderate enantioselectivity (E∼10) toward both carboxylic acid vinyl esters.     

Lipase-catalyzed resolution of 5-acetoxy-1,2-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene. Application to the synthesis of (+)-(3R,4S)-cis-4-hydroxy-6-deoxyscytalone, a metabolite isolated from Colletotrichum acutatum

(+)-cis-4-Hydroxy-6-deoxyscytalone, a natural product bio-synthesized by Colletotrichum sp., has been prepared and its absolute configuration confirmed as 3R,4S, the key step being a kinetic racemic resolution of a cis-diol easily obtained from commercial 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalen-1,5-diol. Four lipases and different reaction conditions were tested in order to obtain the best yield and enantiomeric excess. Confirmation of absolute configuration was made by NMR using a single-derivatization low-temperature procedure and MPA as the auxiliary reagent.     

An efficient preparative scale resolution of 3-phenylbutyric acid by lipase from Burkholderia cepacia (Chirazyme L1)

Lipase from Burkholderia cepacia (Chirazyme L1) catalysed the highly enantioselective hydrolysis of racemic methyl 3-phenylbutyrate to afford (R)-(−)-methyl 3-phenylbutyrate of >98% ee (E>50). The resolution was performed at 150 g scale yielding 68.7 g of (R)-(−)-methyl 3-phenylbutyrate (>98% ee, 92% yield on enantiomer) and (S)-(+)-3-phenylbutyric acid of 89% ee.     

A scalable synthesis of (R)-3-(2-aminopropyl)-7-benzyloxyindole via resolution

(±)-3-(2-Aminopropyl)-7-benzyloxyindole 1, assembled from 7-benzyloxyindole 3 in 59% overall yield, is resolved with O,O′-di-p-toluoyl l-(2R,3R)-tartaric acid 7 into (R)-1, a key intermediate of AJ-9677 2 (selective adrenaline β₃-agonist) in 99.5% e.e. and 36% overall yield. The unwanted enantiomer (S)-1 (61.9% e.e.; recovered in 57% yield from the crystallization filtrate) can be reused in another round of resolution after its enantiomeric purity is lowered to 3.7% by Raney Co treatment under a hydrogen atmosphere.     

A new titanate/(+)-(1R,2S)-cis-1-amino-2-indanol system for the asymmetric synthesis of (S)-tenatoprazole

Tenatoprazole, a substituted imidazopyridinyl derivative, is an irreversible proton pump inhibitor (PPI), which is used for the prevention and treatment of gastric acid-related diseases. A new highly efficient asymmetric oxidation using cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) as the oxidant in the presence of titanium tetraisopropoxide (Ti(OiPr)₄) and (+)-(1R,2S)-cis-1-amino-2-indanol, in a polar aprotic solvent at 0-20 °C, has been developed to prepare tenatoprazole with an enantiomeric excess of >99%, a chemoselectivity of >90% and a chemical yield of >90% from the corresponding sulfide. This procedure was successfully implemented on scales ranging from 100 mg to multiple kilograms. Detailed studies of the parameters controlling purity and yield for this reaction are presented.     

Resolution of (RS)-2-phenylpropanoic acid by enantioselective esterification with dry microbial cells in organic solvent

The microbial direct esterification of racemic 2-phenyl-1-propanoic acid with ethanol by lyophilized mycelium of Aspergillus oryzae MIM and Rhizopus oryzae CBS 112.07 in organic solvents has been investigated. Dry cells of Rhizopus oryzae CBS 112.07 gave the (R)-ethyl ester with high enantiomeric excess (>97%) when the biotransformation was carried out in heptane or pentadecane. Dry mycelium of Aspergillus oryzae MIM furnished the ethyl ester of (S)-(+)-2-phenylpropanoic acid with 90% enantiomeric excess when used in toluene in a temperature range of 20–40°C.     

A practical and scalable process for 4-(R)-hydroxycyclopent-2-en-1-(S)-acetate by desymmetrization of meso-cyclopent-2-en-1,4-diacetate catalyzed by Trichosporon beigelii (NCIM 3326), a cheap biocatalyst

Various yeast and fungal cultures from NCIM, NCL, Pune, India were screened for the hydrolysis of meso-cyclopent-2-en-1,4-diacetate 2 to 4-(R)-hydroxycyclopen-2-en-1-(S)-acetate 1 to provide a cheaper and more effective alternative to PLE which is currently being used for the conversion. Yeast cultures of Trichosporon species were identified as having a pro-R preference in the hydrolysis of 2; but the enantioselectivity was poor. Hence detailed medium-engineering investigations were made for the hydrolysis of 2 to 1 using a culture of Trichosporon beigelii (NCIM 3326) as catalyst. Addition of 10% v/v ethanol was found to enhance the enantioselectivity of the enzyme, affording 1 of 85% optical purity (op) in 83% yield. Further exploration of inherent consecutive kinetic resolutions to the desymmetrization afforded 1 of >98% op in 74% chemical yield.     

Enzymatic desymmetrization of prochiral 2,3-bis(acetoxymethyl)bicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2,5-diene and 2,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)bicyclo[2.2.1]hepta-2,5-diene

Enzymatic desymmetrization of the title compound 1 is reported using various commercially available lipases in hydrolysis and alcoholysis reactions or ester synthesis. In this area, lipase Amano AK (Pseudomonas sp.) proved to be the best lipase whatever the experimental conditions used. The monoacetate product 2 is indifferently obtained with more than 95% enantiomeric excess (ee) as the levorotatory enantiomer 2a or the dextrorotatory one 2b.