Benzyl esters removal

Carboxyl groups of ammo acids and peptides are normally protected as esters Methyl and ethyl esters are prepared by Fischer esterification Deprotection of methyl and ethyl esters is accomplished by hydrolysis m base Benzyl esters are a popular choice because they can also be removed by hydrogenolysis Thus a synthetic peptide protected at both... 

The carboxamidomethyl ester was prepared for use in peptide synthesis. It is formed from the cesium salt of an A-protected amino acid and a-chloroacetamide (60-85% yield). It is cleaved with 0.5 M NaOH or NaHCOa in DMF/H2O. It is stable to the conditions required to remove BOC, Cbz, Fmoc, and r-butyl esters. It cannot be selectively cleaved in the presence of a benzyl ester of aspartic acid. ... 

The protective group is removed by mildly alkaline conditions that do not cleave methyl or benzyl esters. The group is stable to CF3COOH, HCl-AcOH, and HBr-AcOH. A polymer-bound version of this group has also been developed. ... 

In subsequent studies,22 Sheehan et al. demonstrated that the action of diisopropylcarbodiimide on penicilloate 24, prepared by protection of the free primary amino group in 23 with trityl chloride (see Scheme 6b), results in the formation of the desired -lactam 25 in a very respectable yield of 67 %. In this most successful transformation, the competing azlactonization reaction is prevented by the use of a trityl group (Ph3C) to protect the C-6 amino function. Hydrogenolysis of the benzyl ester function in 25, followed by removal of the trityl protecting group with dilute aqueous HC1, furnishes 6-aminopenicillanic acid (26), a versatile intermediate for the synthesis of natural and unnatural penicillins. 

Merck s thienamycin synthesis commences with mono (V-silylation of dibenzyl aspartate (13, Scheme 2), the bis(benzyl) ester of aspartic acid (12). Thus, treatment of a cooled (0°C) solution of 13 in ether with trimethylsilyl chloride and triethylamine, followed by filtration to remove the triethylamine hydrochloride by-product, provides 11. When 11 is exposed to the action of one equivalent of tm-butylmagnesium chloride, the active hydrogen attached to nitrogen is removed, and the resultant anion spontaneously condenses with the electrophilic ester carbonyl four atoms away. After hydrolysis of the reaction mixture with 2 n HC1 saturated with ammonium chloride, enantiomerically pure azetidinone ester 10 is formed in 65-70% yield from 13. Although it is conceivable that... 

During the preparation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, the benzyl ester protecting group was removed by catalytic hydrogenolysis (Scheme 4.42). 

Benzyl esters of phosphoric acid have been employed also with success in organic synthesis. Usually palladium catalysts are used to remove the benzyl protecting group (Scheme 4.50). 

Both the benzyl esters of carboxyl and phosphoric acid groups and benzy-loxymethyl protecting groups were removed in a one-step deprotection on 10% Pd/C in THF-water at 50 psi H2 for 12 hours (Scheme 4.51).235... 

The a-carbonyl function of a lactam was removed by transfer hydrogenolysis. Its benzyl ester was dissolved in MeOH under argon ammonium formate and 5% Pd/C were added and the reaction mixture was stirred for 1.5 hours.271,272... 

The benzyl ester group was selectively hydrogenolyzed on 10% Pd/C in EtOH-H20 (9 1) at 15 psi H2 for 15 hours without concomitant removal of the imidazoyl benzyl moiety (Scheme 4.88).337... 

The Pyoc group is stable to acids and bases, but may be selectively removed after conversion into the jV-methylpyridinium form and subsequent treatment with morpholine, to give 146. Treatment of 146 with acetic anhydride in pyridine gave 147. Hydrogenolysis of the benzyl ester group of 147 followed by methanolysis catalyzed by hydrazine afforded (44,73) the de-protected derivative 148. 

PREPARATION OFACETONIDE PROTECTED [G2J-C00H [12] AND GENERAL PROCEDURE FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE BENZYL ESTER PROTECTING GROUP... 

D Ben-Ishai. The use of hydrogen bromide in acetic acid for the removal of car-bobenzoxy groups and benzyl esters of peptides. J Org Chem 19, 62, 1954. 

FIGURE 5.16 Production of amides by cleavage of benzhydryl amides. Recognition that removal by acidolysis of benzhydryl protectors from carboxamides gave the amides (B) led to development of benzhydrylamine (BHA) resin (C).33 Treatment with HF of a peptide amide that has been assembled on a BHA resin using Boc/Bzl chemistry gives the peptide amide (D). Peptide amide is also obtainable by ammonolysis of the resin-bound benzyl ester (A), a reaction that is more efficient if gaseous NH3 is employed (see Section 8.3). 

Thus, the best compromises for Boc and Fmoc chemistries seem to be cyclohexyl and 2,4-dimethylpent-3-yl (Dmpn), which is of intermediate stability, and the removal of which by trifluoromethanesulfonic acid with the aid of thioanisole (see Section 6.22) leads to minimal imide formation (see Section 6.13). Points to note are that acidolysis of esters by hydrogen fluoride can lead to fission at the oxy-car-bonyl bond instead of the alkyl-oxy bond, thus generating acylium ions that can react with nucleophiles (see Sections 6.16 and 6.22), and that benzyl esters may undergo transesterification if left in methanol. The side reactions of cyclization (see Section 6.16) and acylation of anisole (see Section 6.22) caused by acylium ion formation do not occur at the side chain of aspartic acid.47-51... 

---