Keto acid substrates, asymmetric reductive amination

Synthesis of Chiral a-Amino Acids by Asymmetric Reductive Amination of Keto Acid Substrates In 2003, Rh-Deguphos catalyzed enantioselective reductive amination of a-keto acids 106 with benzylamine (BnNH2)... 

SCHEME 39.30. Asymmetric reductive amination of a-keto acid substrates 106. 

Reductive amination reactions of keto acids are performed with amino acid dehydrogenases. NAD-dependent leucine dehydrogenase from Bacillus sp. is of interest for the synthesis of (S)-fert.-leucine [15-17]]. This chiral compound has found widespread application in asymmetric synthesis and as a building block of biologically active substances. The enzyme can also be used for the chemoenzy-matic preparation of (S)-hydroxy-valine [18] and unnatural hydrophobic bran-ched-chain (S)-amino acids. NAD-dependent L-phenylalanine dehydrogenase from Rhodococcus sp. [19] has been used for the synthesis of L-homophenyl-alanine ((S)-2-Amino-4-phenylbutanoic acid) [9]. These processes with water-soluble substrates and products demonstrate that the use of coenzymes must not... 

Asymmetric catalysis undertook a quantum leap with the discovery of ruthenium and rhodium catalysts based on the atropisomeric bisphosphine, BINAP (3a). These catalysts have displayed remarkable versatility and enantioselectivity in the asymmetric reduction and isomerization of a,P- and y-keto esters functionalized ketones allylic alcohols and amines oc,P-unsaturated carboxylic acids and enamides. Asymmetric transformation with these catalysts has been extensively studied and reviewed.81315 3536 The key feature of BINAP is the rigidity of the ligand during coordination on a transition metal center, which is critical during enantiofacial selection of the substrate by the catalyst. Several industrial processes currently use these technologies, whereas a number of other opportunities show potential for scale up. 

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