Determination of absolute configurations of amino acids by asymmetric autocatalysis of 2-alkynylpyrimidyl alkanol as a chiral sensor

Asymmetric autocatalysis of 2-alkynyl-5-pyrimidyl alkanol is employed as a chiral sensor of 20 amino acids. Asymmetric autocatalysis using amino acids as chiral initiators gave pyrimidyl alkanols of the absolute configurations that were correlated with those of the amino acids. The enantiomeric excesses of pyrimidyl alkanol are invariably high even when the enantiomeric excess of amino acids is as low as 0.1%. Thus, by determining the absolute configuration of pyrimidyl alkanol with high enantiomeric excess, one can determine the absolute configuration of amino acids even when their enantiomeric excess is low.     

Asymmetric autocatalysis of pyrimidyl alkanol and related compounds. Self-replication,amplification of chirality and implication for the origin of biological enantioenriched chirality

We discovered asymmetric autocatalysis in the enantioselective addition of diisopropylzinc to pyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde, where the product 5-pyrimidyl alkanol acts as a highly efficient asymmetric autocatalyst to afford more of itself (Soai reaction). Asymmetric autocatalysis proceeded quantitatively (>99% yield), affording itself as a near enantiomerically pure (>99.5% ee) product. An extremely low enantiomeric excess (ca. 0.00005% ee) can automultiply during three rounds of consecutive asymmetric autocatalysis to >99.5% ee by asymmetric amplification. Circularly polarized light, and inorganic and organic crystals, act as the origin of chirality to trigger asymmetric autocatalysis. Asymmetric autocatalysis has enormous power to recognize and amplify the chirality of hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen isotopomers. Moreover, absolute asymmetric synthesis, i.e., the formation of enantioenriched compounds without the intervention of any chiral factor, is realized by asymmetric autocatalysis. By using designed molecules based on 5-pyrimidyl alkanol, the intramolecular asymmetric control, self-replication, and improvement of chiral multifunctionalized large molecules has been developed by applying asymmetric autocatalysis.     

Enantiodivergent formation of a chiral cytosine crystal by removal of crystal water from an achiral monohydrate crystal under reduced pressure

An achiral nucleobase cytosine forms an achiral monohydrate crystal (space group: P2₁/c) by crystallization from a water solution. It was found that the removal of crystal water under reduced pressure at room temperature afforded a chiral crystal of anhydrous cytosine (P2₁2₁2₁). The crystal chirality of anhydrous cytosine corresponds to the enantiotopic crystal face of the achiral monohydrate; therefore, when the enantiotopic b¹-face is exposed to the reduced pressure, dehydration occurred in the direction from the b¹-face to provide [CD(+)310_KBr]-cytosine crystal. In contrast, dehydration from the b²-face gave the opposite enantiomorphous [CD(?)310_KBr]-cytosine crystal. The correlation between enantiotopic faces and the formed crystal chirality is opposite to that from dehydration by heating. The formed chiral cytosine crystals act as a chiral trigger for asymmetric autocatalysis with enantioenrichment amplification of pyrimidylalkanol.     

The asymmetric power of chiral ligands determined by competitive asymmetric autocatalysis

Asymmetric autocatalytic reactions were initiated by using two competing chiral ligands bearing opposite configurations. The absolute configuration of the resulting highly enantioenriched product reflects the different efficiencies of the two catalysts. Thus, our method provides a simple and efficient way to compare the asymmetric power of chiral ligands for enantioselective catalysis both qualitatively and quantitatively.     

Chiral amino alcohols bound to diimines, diamines and dendrimers as chiral ligands for the enantioselective ethylation of N-diphenylphosphinylimines

Chiral diimines, diamines and dendrimers possessing 2, 4 and 8 ephedrine derivatives are utilized as chiral ligands for the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to N-diphenylphosphinylimines to afford enantiomerically enriched N-diphenylphosphinylamines in up to 93% e.e.