Alcohols desymmetrisation

Whole cells of engineered E. coli BL21(DE3)(pMM4) desymmetrise cyclohexanones with substituents in the 4-position with variable results.36 Simple mono-substitution 118 and 120 gives good results but the enzyme is very sensitive to hydroxyl groups giving a lower yield with the tertiary alcohol 122 and poor ee with the secondary alcohol 124. 

In addition to kinetic resolution processes, the previously described peptide-catalysed acylation reaction of alcohols can be applied to desymmetrisation of meso compounds. In 2005, Miller and coworkers published the desymmetrisation of prochiral glycerol derivatives via enantioselective acylation of one primaiy alcohol function. A (3-tum histidine-based pentapeptide was identified as the most promising catalyst from a peptide libraiy and afforded the monoacylated product with up to 97% enantiomeric excess. One year later Miller and Hansen successfully demonstrated the desymmetrisation of a meso bis-phenol compound, which was found to be challenging because of the large distance between the two OH groups as well as between the desired site of functionalisation and the prochiral stereogenic centre of the substrate. The nucleophilic N-methylhistidine containing peptide 9 was identified as a powerful tool for monoacylation via extensive libraiy... 

A number of other asymmetric enolate protonation reactions have been described using chiral proton sources in the synthesis of a-aryl cyclohexanones. These include the stoichiometric use of chiral diols [68] and a-sulfinyl alcohols [69]. Other catalytic approaches involve the use of a BlNAP-AgF complex with MeOH as the achiral proton source, [70] a chiral sulfonamide/achiral sulfonic acid system [71,72] and a cationic BINAP-Au complex which also was extended to acyclic tertiary a-aryl ketones [73]. Enantioenriched 2-aryl-cyclohexanones have also been accessed by oxidative kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols, kinetic resolution of racemic 2-arylcyclohexanones via an asymmetric Bayer-Villiger oxidation [74] and by arylation with diaryhodonium salts and desymmetrisation with a chiral Li-base [75]. 

Miller developed peptide-based iV-methylimidazole catalysts and applied them to acylative kinetic resolution of N-acylated amino alcohol 29 (Scheme 22.6). The p-hairpin secondary structure of the peptide backbone in catalysts 30 and 31 constitutes a unique environment for effective asymmetric induction. Acylative kinetic resolution of 29 with acetic anhydride in the presence of catalyst 31 proceeded with high s values (s = up to 51). The asymmetric acylation was further extended to remote asymmetric desymmetrisation of a o-symmetric nanometer-scale diol substrate, 32 (Scheme 22.7). Catalyst 33 enabled the enantiotopic hydrojq groups in 32 to be distinguished even though they are located 5.75 A from the prochiral stereogenic centre, and 9.79 A from each other. 

The catalytic asymmetric desymmetrisation of meso anhydrides via the addition of an alcohol nucleophile represents a simple and elegant method for... 

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