Synthesis and First Applications of a New Chiral Auxiliary (tert-butyl 2-(tert-butyl)-5,5-dimethyl-4-oxoimidazolidine-1-carboxylate)

Both enantiomers of tert-butyl 2-(tert-butyl)-5,5-dimethyl-4-oxoimidazolidine-1-carboxylate ( 11 ; Bbdmoic) were prepared from L -alanine (Schemes 1 and 2). The parent heterocycle, 2-tert-butyl-5,5-dimethylimidazolidin-4-one ( 12 ; from 2-aminoisobutyramide, H-Aib-NH₂, and pivalaldehyde) was also available in both enantiomeric forms by resolution with O,O′-dibenzoyltartaric acid. The compound (R)- or (S)- 11 was used as an auxiliary, but also as a chiral Aib building block in a dipeptide synthesis. The 3-propanoyl derivative 13 of (R)- 11 was used for the preparation of enantiomerically pure 2-methyl-3-phenylpropanoic acid (enantiomer ratio (e.r.) 99.5:0.5), by benzylation of the Zn-enolate (→ 14 ; Scheme 3). Oxidative coupling of the bis-enolate derived from heptanedioic acid and (S)- 11 (→ 23 ) and methanolysis of the auxiliary gave dimethyl trans-cyclopentane-1,2-dicarboxylate ( 26 ) with an e.r. of 93:7 (Scheme 5, Fig. 5). The 3-(Boc-Gly)-Bbdmoic derivative 29 was doubly deprotonated and, after addition of ZnBr₂ alkylated with alkyl, benzyl, or allyl halides to give the higher amino-acid derivatives with excellent selectivities (e.r. > 99.5:0.5, Schemes 6 and 7). Michael additions of cuprates to [(E)-MeCH?CHCO]-Bbdmoic 36 occurred in high yields, but high diastereoselectivities were only observed with aryl cuprates (diastereoisomer ratio (d.r.) 99:1 for R = Ph, Scheme 8). Finally, 3-(Boc-CH₂)-Bbdmoic 17 was alkylated through the ester Li-enolate with primary and secondary alkyl, allyl, and benzyl halides with diastereoselectivities (ds) ranging from 91 to 98%, giving acetals of Boc-Aib-Xxx-O(t-Bu) dipeptides (Scheme 4). The effectiveness of Bbdmoic is compared with that of other chiral auxiliaries previously used for the same types of transformations.