Benzyl esters, protecting carboxylic acids with

Other esters are sometimes used to protect carboxylic acids, especially when there is a desire to deprotect the acid by using different conditions from those available for methyl esters. Benzyl esters are prepared in the usual manner but can be cleaved by reaction with hydrogen and a catalyst. Again it is the benzylic carbon-oxygen bond that is broken in the hydrogenolysis reaction ... 

Carboxylic acids are protected as their esters such as methyl esters, tert-hutyl esters, allyl esters, benzyl esters, phenacyl esters and alkoxyalkyl esters. The esters are formed by the reaction of carboxylic acid with alcohol, and the reaction is known as esterification. 

PhCH20COCl, Na2C03, H20,0°, 30 min, 72% yield. Alpha-omega diamines can be protected somewhat selectively with this reagent at a pH between 3.5 and 4.5, but the selectivity decreases as the chain length increases [H2N(CH2) NH2, n = 2, 71% mono n = l, 29% mono]. Hindered amino acids are protected in DMSO (DMAP, TEA, heat, 47-82% yield). These conditions also convert a carboxylic acid to the benzyl ester. ... 

Completion of the synthesis of quinapril involves amide bond formation between 26 and a tetrahydroisoquinoline fragment. Two complementary protected 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-3-isoquinoline subunits 27 and 28, each available in a single step from commercially available (6)-l,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid, were utilized (Scheme 10.7). Coupling with 26 using DCC and HOBt in dichloromethane afforded the penultimate compounds 29 and 30 as maleate salts. Cleavage of the f-butyl ester of 29 and treatment with HCl provided quinapril. Alternatively, hydrogenation of 30 under standard conditions cleanly removed the benzyl ester, and quinapril (3) was isolated after formation of the hydrochloride salt. 

The initial medicinal chemistry route to the azabicyclo[3.3.0]octane-3-carboxylic acid produced the azabicyclo system in a diastereoselective but racemic manner, and required a classical resolution to achieve enantioenriched material (Teetz et al., 1984a, b 1988). Reaction of (R)-methyl 2-acetamido-3-chloropropanoate (43) and 1-cyclopentenylpyrrolidine (44) in DMF followed by an aqueous acidic work-up provided racemic keto ester 45 in 84% yield (Scheme 10.11). Cyclization of 45 in refluxing aqueous hydrochloric acid provided the bicyclic imine, which was immediately reduced under acidic hydrogenation conditions. The desired cis-endo product 46 was obtained upon recrystaUization. The acid was protected as the benzyl ester using thionyl chloride and benzyl alcohol, providing subunit 47 as the racemate. Resolution of 47 was accomplished by crystallization with benzyloxy-carbonyl-L-phenylalanine or L-dibenzoyl-tartaric acid. 

Due to the extremely low nucleophilicity of the imino group, 187,188 acylation of thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (11) is not a trivial procedure. In fact, N-protected Thz derivatives can be prepared by standard procedures, but strong acylating conditions are required. The related N-Boc derivative is obtained only by prolonged reaction times with Boc-N3 U2,189 or with Boc20. 113 For preparation of the N-Z derivative, silylation of Thz with, for example, chlorotrimethylsilane is recommended prior to the reaction benzyl chloroformate. 200 Due to the stability of thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid to acids its methyl ester is obtained by HC1 catalyzed reaction with methanol, 190 whereas the amide is formed by reacting Thz N-carboxyanhydride with ammonia.1 89 Derivatives of thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid are listed in Table 8. 

Attachment of carboxylic acids to supports as trityl esters is achieved by treatment of the corresponding trityl chloride resin with the acid in the presence of an excess of a tertiary amine (Figure 3.5 see also Section 13.4.2). This esterification usually proceeds more quickly than the acylation of benzyl alcohol linkers. Less racemization is generally observed during the esterification of A-protected a-amino acids with trityl linkers than with benzyl alcohol linkers [47], If valuable acids are to be linked to insoluble supports, quantitative esterification can be accomplished by using excess 2-chlorotrityl chloride resin, followed by displacement of the remaining chloride with methanol [64]. 

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