Mechanistic studies on the diazo transfer reaction

The mechanism of the diazo transfer reaction which converts amines to azides has been studied with labeled amino acids and labeled imidazole-1-sulfonyl azides. Retention of amine nitrogen in the amine, and transfer of the two terminal nitrogen atoms of the imidazole-1-sulfonyl azide to the product, were unambiguously established.     

Highly stereoselective asymmetric aldol routes to tert-butyl-2-(3,5-difluorophenyl)-1-oxiran-2-yl)ethyl)carbamates: Building blocks for novel protease inhibitors

Enantioselective syntheses of tert-butyl ((S)-2-(3,5-difluorophenyl)-1-((S)-oxiran-2-yl)ethyl)carbamate and ((S)-2-(3,5-difluorophenyl)-1-((R)-oxiran-2-yl)ethyl)carbamate are described. We utilized asymmetric syn- and anti-aldol reactions to set both stereogenic centers. We investigated ester-derived Ti-enolate aldol reactions as well as Evans’ diastereoselective syn-aldol reaction for these syntheses. We have converted optically active ((S)-2-(3,5-difluorophenyl)-1-((S)-oxiran-2-yl)ethyl)carbamate to a potent β-secretase inhibitor.     

Synthesis of 6-Hydroxy-2-methyl-3-thioxo-2H-1,2,4-triazin-5-one

The title compound has been prepared in three steps from 2-methylthiosemicarbazide following acylation, cyclisation and cation exchange chromatography. It was fully characterised by the usual spectroscopic means as well as by ¹⁵N nmr spectroscopy and X-ray crystallographic analysis.     

Diastereoselective synthesis of (+)-nephrosterinic acid and (+)-protolichesterinic acid

A diastereoselective synthesis of (+)-nephrosterinic acid and (+)-protolichesterinic acid, common members of the paraconic acids is described. The synthesis is based on a diastereoselective orthoester Johnson–Claisen rearrangement of a (Z)-allyl alcohol with a vicinal dioxolane moiety as key steps. The synthesis is completed in 10 steps and with overall yields of 15.9% for (+)-nephrosterinic acid and 16.4% for (+)-protolichesterinic acid.