Amino Strecker method

The second method, referred to as the decarbonylation reaction, concerns a base-catalyzed elimination of HC1 and CO from an acid chloride.31 The amide moiety was converted into the amino acid 15 by reaction with Na202 in water.32 Alternatively, amides can be converted into the corresponding carboxylic acid by treatment with concentrated HC1.33 However, this method produced lower yields as a result of some decomposition. The carboxylic acid 15 was treated with the Vilsmeier reagent and triethylamine furnishing the imine 16 via decarbonylation. The imine 16 was then converted, in a similar manner to the retro-Strecker method, to the unprotected homoall-ylamine 17 in 75% overall yield and an ee of 98%. 

Show syntheses of amino acids by the Strecker method, the a-substitution by NH3 method, or the Gabriel/malonate method. (Problem 26.29)... 

The aromatic amino acid L-methyl DOPA (Di Hydroxy PhenylAlanine) 80 is used to make an antihypertensive compound. Synthesis by the Strecker method clearly requires the aromatic ketone 77, and the synthesis follows the pattern below.18 The intermediates and final product have been resolved in various ways. 

In a modification of the Read reaction, instead of the free amino acids, their esters or amides, and especially their nitriles, are used.9 This procedure has also been termed the Strecker method on the basis of the synthesis of the starting amino nitriles. 

The most general methods for the syntheses of 1,2-difunctional molecules are based on the oxidation of carbon-carbon multiple bonds (p. 117) and the opening of oxiranes by hetero atoms (p. 123fl.). There exist, however, also a few useful reactions in which an a - and a d -synthon or two r -synthons are combined. The classical polar reaction is the addition of cyanide anion to carbonyl groups, which leads to a-hydroxynitriles (cyanohydrins). It is used, for example, in Strecker s synthesis of amino acids and in the homologization of monosaccharides. The ff-hydroxy group of a nitrile can be easily substituted by various nucleophiles, the nitrile can be solvolyzed or reduced. Therefore a large variety of terminal difunctional molecules with one additional carbon atom can be made. Equally versatile are a-methylsulfinyl ketones (H.G. Hauthal, 1971 T. Durst, 1979 O. DeLucchi, 1991), which are available from acid chlorides or esters and the dimsyl anion. Carbanions of these compounds can also be used for the synthesis of 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds (p. 65f.). 

Strecker synthesis (Section 27 4) Method for prepanng amino acids in which the first step is reaction of an aldehyde with ammonia and hydrogen cyanide to give an amino nitnle which IS then hydrolyzed... 

Miscellaneous Reactions. Sodium bisulfite adds to acetaldehyde to form a white crystalline addition compound, insoluble in ethyl alcohol and ether. This bisulfite addition compound is frequendy used to isolate and purify acetaldehyde, which may be regenerated with dilute acid. Hydrocyanic acid adds to acetaldehyde in the presence of an alkaU catalyst to form cyanohydrin the cyanohydrin may also be prepared from sodium cyanide and the bisulfite addition compound. Acrylonittile [107-13-1] (qv) can be made from acetaldehyde and hydrocyanic acid by heating the cyanohydrin that is formed to 600—700°C (77). Alanine [302-72-7] can be prepared by the reaction of an ammonium salt and an alkaU metal cyanide with acetaldehyde this is a general method for the preparation of a-amino acids called the Strecker amino acids synthesis. Grignard reagents add readily to acetaldehyde, the final product being a secondary alcohol. Thioacetaldehyde [2765-04-0] is formed by reaction of acetaldehyde with hydrogen sulfide thioacetaldehyde polymerizes readily to the trimer. 

In a modification of the original method. Read (60) replaced a-amino acids with a-amino nitriles. This reaction is sometimes known as Strecker hydantoin synthesis, the term referring to the reaction employed for the synthesis of the a-amino nitrile from an aldehyde or ketone. The cycli2ation intermediate (18) has been isolated in some cases (61), and is involved in a pH-controUed equiUbrium with the corresponding ureide. 

The importance of chemical syntheses of a-amino acids on industrial scale is limited by the fact that the standard procedure always yields the racemic mixture (except for the achiral glycine H2N-CH2-COOH and the corresponding amino acid from symmetrical ketones R-CO-R). A subsequent separation of the enantiomers then is a major cost factor. Various methods for the asymmetric synthesis of a-amino acids on laboratory scale have been developed, and among these are asymmetric Strecker syntheses as well. ... 

A very efficient and universal method has been developed for the production of optically pue L- and D-amino adds. The prindple is based on the enantioselective hydrolysis of D,L-amino add amides. The stable D,L-amino add amides are effidently prepared under mild reaction conditions starting from simple raw materials (Figure A8.2). Thus reaction of an aldehyde with hydrogen cyanide in ammonia (Strecker reaction) gives rise to the formation of the amino nitrile. The aminonitrile is converted in a high yield to the D,L-amino add amide under alkaline conditions in the presence of a catalytic amount of acetone. The resolution step is accomplished with permeabilised whole cells of Pseudomonas putida ATCC 12633. A nearly 100% stereoselectivity in hydrolysing only the L-amino add amide is combined with a very broad substrate spedfidty. 

The method is very useful for the synthesis of physiologically interesting a-mcthylamino acids, e.g., methyl dopa from the 3,4-dimethoxybenzyl derivative. The excellent stereoselection achieved in the process, however, is caused by the preferential crystallization of one pure diastereomerfrom the equilibrium mixture formed in the reversible Strecker reaction. Thus, the pure diastcrcomers with benzyl substituents, dissolved in chloroform or acetonitrile, give equilibrium mixtures of both diastereomers in a ratio of about 7 347. This effect has also been found for other s-methylamino nitriles of quite different structure49. If the amino nitrile (R1 = Bn) is synthesized in acetonitrile solution, the diastereomers do not crystallize while immediate hydrolysis indicates a ratio of the diastereomeric amino nitriles (S)I(R) of 86 1447. 

Stereoselective Strecker reactions with galactosylamine 1 can also be achieved with sodium cyanide and acetic acid in 2-propanol. The reactions, however, proceed slowly and with a lower stereoselectivity, giving diastereomeric ratios of the products between 3 1 and 7 1. The scope of the method can be extended to other glycosylamines, e.g., 2,3,4-tri-O-pivaloyl-a-D-arabinosyl-amine which allows the stereoselective synthesis of (A )-amino nitriles61,62. 

A particularly useful variation of this reaction uses cyanide rather than HCN. a-Amino nitriles can be prepared in one step by the treatment of an aldehyde or ketone with NaCN and NH4CI. This is called the Strecker synthesisand it is a special case of the Mannich reaction (16-15). Since the CN is easily hydrolyzed to the acid, this is a convenient method for the preparation of a-amino acids. The reaction has also been carried out with NH3-I-HCN and with NH4CN. Salts of primary and secondary amines can be used instead of NH to obtain N-substituted and N,N-disubstituted a-amino nitriles. Unlike 16-51, the Strecker synthesis is useful for aromatic as well as aliphatic ketones. As in 16-51, the Me3SiCN method has been used 64 is converted to the product with ammonia or an amine. ... 

Strecker reactions provide one of the most efficient methods for the synthesis of a-amino nitriles, which are useful intermediates in the synthesis of amino acids and nitrogen-containing heterocycles. Although classical Strecker reactions have some limitations, use of trimethylsilyl cyanide (TMSCN) as a cyano anion source provides promising and safer routes to these compounds.133-351 Consequently, we focused our attention on tributyltin cyanide (Bu3SnCN), because Bu3SnCN is stable in water and is also a potential cyano anion source. Indeed, the Strecker-type reactions of aldehydes, amines, and Bu3SnCN proceeded smoothly in water (Eq. 9).1361 It should be noted that no surfactants are required in this reaction. Furthermore, Complete recovery of the toxic tin compounds is also possible in the form of bis(tributyltin) oxide after the reaction is over. Since conversion of bis(tributyltin) oxide to tributyltin cyanide is known in the literature, this procedure provides a solution to the problem associated with toxicity of tin compounds. 

Remarks on Sections 6 and 7.-—The method here described for the synthesis of cyanohydrins—treatment of the bisulphite compound of the aldehyde with potassium cyanide—cannot be used in all cases. Concentrated solutions of hydrocyanic acid or anhydrous hydrogen cyanide are often used. The general method for the synthesis of a-amino-acids, the nitriles of which are formed by the union of ammonium cyanide with aldehydes or ketones (Strecker), is to be contrasted with that for the synthesis of a-hydroxy acids. For additional amino-acid syntheses see Chap. VII. 2, p. 276. 

In addition to this, the simplest method of synthesising a-amino-acids (a method which is less satisfactory for the preparation of higher members of the series), there are two other processes, both starting from aldehydes. Strecker obtained the nitrile of the amino-acid, Chap. V. 7, p. 229, by addition of ammonium cyanide to the next lower aldehyde, and Erlenmeyer jun. condensed hippuric acid with the aldehyde containing two carbon atoms less than the required amino-acid. 

Furthermore, Rueping and coworkers applied their reaction conditions to the cyanation of ketimines [54]. The use of A-benzylated imines derived from aryl-methyl ketones generally gave comparable yields, but lower enantioselectivities. However, this method furnished Strecker products bearing a quaternary stereogenic center, which are valuable intermediates for the preparation of optically active a,a-disubstituted a-amino acids. 

Pll The asymmetric synthesis of a-amino acids and derivatives is an important topic as a result of their extensive use in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals and as chiral ligands. Many highly enantioselective approaches have been reported. Industrial production of a-amino acids via the Strecker reaction is historically one of the most versatile methods to obtain these compounds in a cost-effective manner, making use of inexpensive and easily accessible starting materials. (From Boesten et al., 2001)... 

As the last example, we present a poster Methods section based on Boesten et al. (2001) concerning the asymmetric Strecker synthesis of an a-amino acid (excerpt 9D and at the end of chapter 2). The poster Methods section presents only... 

The synthesis of a-amino acids is important because they are used extensively in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and as chiral ligands. The Strecker reaction is historically one of the most versatile ways to synthesize a-amino acids, but this method yields only 50% of a single enantiomer. Higher yields can be achieved by using chiral auxiliaries, but auxiliaries are often high in cost and low in availability. 

The Strecker reaction is historically one of the most versatile methods for getting a-amino acids in a cost-effective manner (Adapted from Boesten et ah, 2001)... 

The Strecker synthesis pictured in Figure 16-41 is a relatively simple method for synthesizing an amino acid, but it depends on the availability of the appropriate aldehyde. Figure 16-42 shows a specific example for the synthesis of phenylalanine (the resulting cimino acid presents itself as a racemic mixture). 

Cramer, the discoverer, showed that, when serine was treated with nitrous acid, it was converted into glyceric acid, and he recognised it as an aminolactic acid. It was regarded as a-amino-jS-oxypropionic acid, but this was only definitely proved when it was synthesised by Fischer and Leuchs in 1902 from glycollic aldehyde, hydrogen C anide and ammonia, which is the first instance of the employment of Strecker s method to build up oxyamino acids from oxyaldehydes. 

The numerous preparations of mono-, di-, tri-, and hexafluoro derivatives of valine, norvaline, leucine, norleucine, and isoleucine, using classical methods of amino acid chemistry (e.g., amination of an a-bromoacid, " azalactone, Strecker reaction, amidocarbonylation of a trifluoromethyl aldehyde, alkylation of a glycinate anion are not considered here. Pure enantiomers are generally obtained by enzymatic resolution of the racemate, chemical resolution, or asymmetric Strecker reaction. ... 

A racemate of a desired building block may often be prodnced easily by conventional organic synthetic methods. For instance racemic amino acids can be obtained by the Strecker synthesis from an aldehyde, ammonia and hydrogen cyanide (See 2.3.2). 

Nucleophilic phosphorus species are employed in the synthesis of amino acid analogues by condensation with imine derivatives, in parallel with the classical Strecker reaction. A variety of methods are available, depending on the selection of the phosphorus reagents and the imine precursors. 

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