Alkyl halides enantioselective synthesis

An enantioselective synthesis of both (R)- and (5)-a-alkylcysteines 144 and 147 is based on the phase-transfer catalytic alkylation of fert-butyl esters of 2-phenyl-2-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acid and 2-ort/ro-biphenyl-2-thiazoline-4-carboxylic acid, 142 and 145 <06JOC8276>. Treatment of 142 and 145 with alkyl halides and potassium hydroxide in the presence of chiral catalysts 140 and 141 gives the alkylated products, which are hydrolyzed to (R)- and (S)-a-alkylcysteines 144 and 147, respectively, in high enantioselectivity. This method may have potential for the practical synthesis of chiral a-alkylcysteines. 

A procedure for enantioselective synthesis of carboxylic acids is based on sequential alkylation of the oxazoline 8 via its lithium salt. Chelation by the methoxy group leads preferentially to the transition state in which the lithium is located as shown. The lithium acts as a Lewis acid in directing the approach of the alkyl halide. This is reinforced by a steric effect from the phenyl substituent. As a result, alkylation occurs predominantly from the lower face of the anion. The sequence in which the groups R and R are introduced... 

Scheme 17 illustrates enantioselective synthesis of a-amino acids by phase-transfer-catalyzed alkylation (46). Reaction of a protected glycine derivative and between 1.2 and 5 equiv of a reactive organic halide in a 50% aqueous sodium hydroxide-dichloromethane mixture containing 1-benzylcinchoninium chloride (BCNC) as catalyst gives the optically active alkylation product. Only monoalkylated products are obtained. Allylic, benzylic, methyl, and primary halides can be used as alkylating agents. Similarly, optically active a-methyl amino acid derivatives can be prepared by this method in up to 50% ee. 

A characteristic feature of this solid-phase amino acid synthesis is the use of the phosphazene bases 53 and 54 for the PTC alkylation reaction [64, 65]. Because these compounds, which are soluble in organic media, do not react with alkyl halides, both alkyl halide and phosphazene bases can be added together at the start of the reaction, which is useful practically [65], Cinchonine and cinchonidine-derived salts, e.g. 25, were found to be very efficient catalysts. Under optimum conditions the alkylation proceeds with enantioselectivity in the range 51-99% ee, depending on the alkyl halide component [65], Seventeen different alkyl halides were tested. After subsequent hydrolysis with trifluoroacetic acid the corresponding free amino acids were obtained in high yield (often >90%). 

Besides the glycinate ester derivatives described above, other types of enolate-forming compounds have proved to be useful substrates for enantioselective alkylation reactions in the presence of cinchona alkaloids as chiral PTC catalysts. The Corey group reported the alkylation of enolizable carboxylic acid esters of type 57 in the presence of 25 as organocatalyst [69]. The alkylations furnished the desired a-substituted carboxylate 58 in yields of up to 83% and enantioselectivity up to 98% ee (Scheme 3.23). It should be added that high enantioselectivity in the range 94-98% ee was obtained with a broad variety of alkyl halides as alkylation agents. The product 58c is a versatile intermediate in the synthesis of an optically active tetra-hydropyran. 

Camphor and camphor-derived analogues are used frequently as chiral auxiliaries in asymmetric synthesis (cf Chapter 23). There have been numerous reports in the use of camphor imine as templates to direct enantioselective alkylation for the synthesis of a-amino acids, a-amino phos-phonic acids, a-substituted benzylamines, and a-amino alcohols (e.g., Scheme 5.9).43 47 Enantiomeric excesses of the products range from poor to excellent depending on the type of alkyl halides used. 

Chiral quaternary carbon centers. Meyers et al. have reported an enantioselective synthesis of chiral ot,(t-disubstituted- y-keto acids (6) via the lactam 3 prepared from l-valinol (1) and the y-keto acid 2. Alkylation of 3 with primary alkyl halides gives mainly the endo-isomer (4). /dkylation of 4 also proceeds with endo-selectivity to give 5 with a... 

Alcohols can be obtained from many other classes of compounds such as alkyl halides, amines, al-kenes, epoxides and carbonyl compounds. The addition of nucleophiles to carbonyl compounds is a versatile and convenient methc for the the preparation of alcohols. Regioselective oxirane ring opening of epoxides by nucleophiles is another important route for the synthesis of alcohols. However, stereospe-cific oxirane ring formation is prerequisite to the use of epoxides in organic synthesis. The chemistry of epoxides has been extensively studied in this decade and the development of the diastereoselective oxidations of alkenic alcohols makes epoxy alcohols with definite configurations readily available. Recently developed asymmetric epoxidation of prochiral allylic alcohols allows the enantioselective synthesis of 2,3-epoxy alcohols. 

Salto, T., Sakairi, M., Akiba, D. Enantioselective synthesis of aziridines from imines and alkyl halides using a camphor-derived chiral sulfide mediator via the imino Corey-Chaykovsky reaction. Tetrahedron Lett. 2001,42, 5451-5454. 

Furukawa first reported a one-pot synthesis of epoxides using a reaction system composed of alkyl sulfides, alkyl halides, and aldehydes in the presence of solid KOH in MeCN (Scheme 1) [7]. Using chiral sulfide 1 enantiomerically enriched epoxides were obtained but with only moderate enantioselectivity and yield... 

This chiral auxiliary has been applied to the enantioselective synthesis of a-alkyl carboxylic acids such as (5 )-2-methyl-4-pentenoic acid. A retrosynthetic analysis of the carbon skeleton of 2-methyl-4-pentenoic acid suggests preparation by alkylation of the enolate of a propanoyl group with an allyl halide. 

When nonsynunetrical secondary alkyl halides are involved, a stereogenic center is produced in the coupling reaction. The Ni(lI)/Pybox-based systems have also proved useful in the context of enantioselective synthesis. Asymmetric crosscoupling of functionalized alkylzinc halides with secondary a-bromoamides (e.g.,... 

Activated olefins (acrylonitrile, methyl acrylate), and halides such as allyl bromide and ethyl bromoacetate were used as electrophiles. In nonpolar solvents, the enamines (126a) were alkylated with high enantioselectivity, but poor chemical yields. In polar solvents, the chemical yields were acceptable, the optical yields poor 148). A similar reaction sequence has been used successfully for the synthesis of (+)-mesembrine (133)149 >. 

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