Reaction of N-Acyl-α-triphenylphosphonio-α-amino Acid Esters with Organic Bases: Mechanism of the Base-Catalyzed Nucleophilic Substitution of the Triphenylphosphonium Group

Summary.  Reactions of N-acyl-α-triphenylphosphonio-α-amino acid methyl esters with organic bases (triethylamine or DBU) were investigated as the crucial step of the base-catalyzed displacement of the triphenylphosphonium group by nucleophiles. It was proved that N-acyl-α-triphenylphosphonioglycinates are transformed to an equilibrium mixture of the corresponding N-acyliminoacetates and N-acyl-α-triphenylphosphoranylidene glycinates by bases. In the case of N-acyl-α-triphenylphosphonio-α-amino acid esters with quaternary α-carbon, the α-substituted homologues of the N-acyliminoacetates were detected to be the only primary reaction product which, however, can undergo further tautomerization to the corresponding α,β-dehydro-α-amino acid derivatives. In both these cases the reaction of N-acyl-α-triphenylphosphonio-α-amino acid esters with nucleophiles proceeds via the addition of a nucleophile to the activated C=N double bond of the N-acylimino intermediate. Corresponding author. E-mail: romanm@zeus.polsl.gliwice.pl Received October 31, 2001. Accepted (revised) December 17, 2001