1,2-Amino alcohols, synthesis, lithium aluminum hydride

The reduction of a-hydroxynitriles to yield vicinal amino alcohols is conveniently accomplished with complex metal hydrides for example, lithium aluminum hydride or sodium borohydride [69]. However, it is still worth noting that a two-step chemo-enzymatic synthesis of (R)-2-amino-l-(2-furyl)ethanol for laboratory production was developed followed by successful up-scaling to kilogram scale using NaBH4/CF3COOH as reductant [70],... 

An efficient synthesis of ( )-quebrachamine is based on the construction of a suitable precursor via ring cleavage of an a-diketone monothioketal (810) (80JCS(P1)457). This monothioketal, available from 4-ethoxycarbonylcyclohexanone ethylene ketal, was fragmented to the dithianyl half ester (811) with sodium hydride in the presence of water. Reaction of (811) with tryptamine and DCC provided an amide which was converted to the stereoisomeric lactams (812) on hydrolysis of the dithiane function. Reduction of either the a- or /3-ethyl isomer with lithium aluminum hydride followed by conversion of the derived amino alcohol to its mesylate produced the amorphous quaternary salt (813). On reduction with sodium in liquid ammonia, the isomeric salts provided ( )-quebrachamine (814 Scheme 190). 

The second synthesis of lasubine II (6) by Narasaka et al. utilizes stereoselective reduction of a /3-hydroxy ketone O-benzyl oxime with lithium aluminum hydride, yielding the corresponding syn-/3-amino alcohol (Scheme 5) 17, 18). The 1,3-dithiane derivative 45 of 3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde was converted to 46 in 64% yield via alkylation with 2-bromo-l,l-dimethoxyethane followed by acid hydrolysis. Treatment of the aldol, obtained from condensation of 46 with the kinetic lithium enolate of 5-hexen-2-one, with O-benzylhydroxylamine hy-... 

The cyclic (iodomethyl)carbamates 15 can be easily converted into 3-amino-l,2-diol derivatives 17 via iodine displacement with Amberlyst A-26 in the acetate form. In addition, cleavage of the carbon- iodine bond (lithium aluminum hydride or tributyl tin hydride) leads to the trans-2-oxazolidinones 18, which are useful intermediates for the synthesis of 1,2-iyn-amino alcohol systems 199 12. 

The best way to prepare peptide aldehydes from the corresponding N -protected amino acids is by using a handle based on the Weinreb amide.f This commercial handle allows classical solid-phase elongation of peptides using protected Boc or Fmoc amino adds and, at the end of the synthesis, the peptide aldehyde is formed by reduction and concomitant cleavage from the resin with lithium aluminum hydride. Although the 4-hydro-xybenzoic acid handle also allows the preparation of peptide aldehydes by reduction of the resin-bound phenyl ester with lithium tri-tert-butoxyaluminum hydride, a noixture of the aldehyde and the alcohol is always formed. 

All these results are consistent with the 8-lactam structures CCCXCVI and CCCXCVII which received confirmation by conversion of the amino alcohol CCCC to CCCCIII and unambiguous synthesis of the latter from CCCXCVIII. The monotosylate of the methylated diol CCCCI was subjected to reduction with lithium aluminum hydride to give the base CCCCIII. Reaction of the amino alcohol CCCXCVIII with methyl... 

The only asymmetric synthesis of the Nuphar indolizidine to date is due to Barluenga and co-workers (615). Their route to the (5S,8 ,8aS)-( -) enantiomer of 944 commenced with cycloaddition between the proline-derived 2-amino-butadiene 957 and imine 958 (Scheme 125). Hydrolysis of the adduct 959 gave piperidinone 960 in 51% yield and an ee of better than 99%. Once the alcohol and amine groups had been mutually protected as the cyclic carbamate 961, defimctionalization of the ketone was accomplished via an enol triflate. Chain-extension of the deprotected piperidine 962 at the hydroxymethyl substituent afforded 963, which was cyclized to the bicyclic lactam 964 simply by heating in toluene. Reduction with lithium aluminum hydride completed the synthesis of ( - )-944 ([a]n -99°, c 1.3, CH2CI2). 

Amino acids are fundamental biological chemicals and most are commercially available. Exceptions and the preparation of derivatives are discussed in Section 2.4. The compounds themselves, as well as their esters, may be reduced with complex hydrides (e.g., lithium aluminum hydride or sodium borohydride) to the corresponding a-amino alcohols (mostly named after the amino acid, e.g., alaninol from alanine). As a typical example of the in situ preparation of an amino acid ester and reduction to the amino alcohol, the synthesis of (- )-(S )-phenylalaninol is given1. 

These transformations serve to illustrate the principles involved in asymmetric synthesis. The requirements for efficient synthetic utilization are (a) an easily available optically active reagent that can carry out the desired transformation, and (b) reaction conditions that lead to a high percentage of enantiomeric preference. In general, it is also desirable to be able to recover the optically active reagent. The Diels-Alder example is a case where this can be accomplished. Hydrolysis or lithium aluminum hydride reduction gives the product and also returns the original alcohol, which can be reused. Similarly, in the synthesis of dialkylacetic acids, the optically active amino alcohol can be recovered by hydrolysis. 

The stability of a-azido substituents in boronic esters was first observed in exploratory studies [29]. Azido groups are compatible with several standard reactions of boronic esters, including chain extension with (dichloromethyl)lithium and substitution of the resulting a-chloro substituent. After peroxidic deboronation, reduction of the azido group with lithium aluminum hydride led to an asymmetric amino alcohol, (5S,6S)-BuCH(NH2)CH(OH)Bu, in 98% diastereopurity [29]. Details ofa more recent amino alcohol synthesis are shown below in Scheme 8.31. 

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