Alanines, -substituted, preparation from azlactones

A number of new j8-substituted alanines have been prepared from unsaturated azlactones by the usual reduction-hydrolysis procedures. An interesting example is the synthesis of DL-jS-ferrocenylalanine (33). ... 

Kobayashi et al. also applied the catalyst to asymmetric 1,4-addition reactions of azlactones with acrylates [66]. The active a-proton of the azlactone (5(4H)-oxazolone) skeleton showed a low pKa value compared to that of the alanine Schiff bases, because the anion formed is stabilized via enol formation and aromatization. After 1,4-addition reactions with acrylates, the 2-substituted glutamic acid derivatives formed could be obtained via hydrolysis using a weak acid. It was found that Pybox 3 prepared from alaninol derivatives was effective for this reaction. The desired products were obtained in good yields with good enantios-electivities. Several amino acid derivatives containing aUcyl chains in the a-position were screened, and the leucine derivative (R = Bu) showed the best enantio-selectivity in this reaction (Table 16, entry 8). 

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