Efficient synthesis of enantiopure pyrrolizidinone amino acid

Enantiopure (3S,5R,8S)-3-N-(Boc)amino]-1-azabicyclo3.3.0]octan-2-one 8-carboxylic acid (1) was synthesized in nine steps and 16% overall yield from aspartate beta-aldehyde 7. Carbene-catalyzed acyloin condensation of 7, followed by acetylation and samarium iodide reduction, gave linear precursor (2S,7S)-alpha,omega-diamino-4-oxosuberate 11, which was converted to N-(Boc)aminopyrrolizidin-2-one carboxylic acid 1 by a reductive amination/lactam cyclization sequence. X-ray analysis of (3S,5R,8S)-methyl N-(Boc)aminopyrrolizidin-2-one carboxylate 21 showed that its internal backbone dihedral angles (psi = -149 degrees, phi = -49 degrees ) were in good agreement with the ideal values for a type II' beta-turn. Proton NMR experiments on N'-methyl-N-(Boc)aminopyrrolizidin-2-one carboxamide 23 demonstrated significantly different NH chemical displacements and temperature coefficients suggestive of solvent shielded and exposed hydrogens indicative of a turn conformation. Because pyrrolizidinone amino acids can serve as conformationally rigid dipeptide surrogates, this synthesis should facilitate their application in the exploration of conformation-activity relationships of various biologically active peptides.