Bucherer modification

Fig. 7.11. Synthesis of racemic methionine by means of the Bucherer modification of the Strecker synthesis. The first step of the reaction does not stop at the stage the step of the a-aminonitrile but yields a hydantoin (B mechanistic details Figure 7.12). The second step—via the anion C of a hydantoin acid—leads to the formation of the anion E of methionine, which can be pro-tonated during workup to yield the uncharged methionine (D).

The duration of the reaction time alone determines whether carbonyl compounds, sodium cyanide and ammonium chloride will generate a cyanohydrin (Figure 9.9, top) or an a-aminonitrile (Figure 9.9, bottom). We are already familiar with the first reaction pattern from the initial reaction of the three-step Kiliani-Fischer synthesis of aldoses (Figure 7.15). The second reaction pattern initiates the Strecker synthesis of a-amino acids, which is completed by a total hydrolysis of the C=N group, as in the Bucherer modification discussed elsewhere (Figure 7.11). 

Phenylalanine, synthesized from [ C]cyanide by the Bucherer modification of the Strecker synthesis, was resolved into its l- and D-iso-mers by the action of the d- and L-amino acid oxidases, respectively. The optically active amino acid was separated from phenylpyruvic acid by cation exchange chromatography (3). Similarly, DL-[ F]acyl-p-fluoro-phenylalanine has been subjected to stereospecific deacylation with the fungal enz)nne, L-amino acylase enz)nnatically generated L-[ F]p-fluoro-phenylalanine was separated from the D-acyl amino acid by column chromatography (4). 

Synthesis from Thiohydantoins. A modification (71) of the Bucherer-Bergs reaction consisting of treatment of an aldehyde or ketone with carbon disulfide, ammonium chloride, and sodium cyanide affords 2,4-dithiohydantoias (19). 4-Thiohydantoias (20) are available from reaction of amino nitriles with carbon disulfide (72). Compounds (19) and (20) can be transformed iato hydantoias. 

The first improvement of the Bucherer-Bergs reaction was the Bucherer-Lieb variation using the diluted alcoholic solution as described at the end of section 7.2.2. The Bucherer-Lieb variation is possibly the most popular process for synthesizing hydantoins. Another notable variation is the Henze modification using fusing acetamide as the solvent in place of water, benzene or 50% alcohol. Recently, ultrasound-promoted hydantoin synthesis has been reported to accelerate the reaction. 

The other most important synthetic utility of the Bucherer-Bergs reaction is the preparation of amino acids from the hydrolysis of hydantoins. When carbonyl 1 was symmetrical, the Henze modification gave hydantoin 2, which was then hydrolyzed to the... 

The H CN (or CN, if the reaction is done under basic conditions) synthon has been mainly used to extend the carbon chain by one carbon. For example, cyanide ion has been used in the synthesis of amino acids labelled in the carboxylate group. This is accomplished using the high pressure-high temperature modification of the Bucherer-Strecker synthesis. In this reaction, bisulphite addition complex of an aldehyde reacts with cyanide ion in the presence of ammonium carbonate to form a hydantoin, which is then converted into the amino acid by basic hydrolysis (equation 61). 

The addition reaction of carbon-11 labelled cyanide ion to the bisulphite addition adduct of an aldehyde has been extended to prepare carbon-11 labelled amines. Maeda and coworkers prepared both p- and m-octopamine [2-(p-and m-hydroxyphenyl)-2-hydroxyethyl-amine] from the corresponding benzaldehyde by reducing the cyanohydrin formed in the reaction between the appropriate benzaldehyde and cyanide ion both under enzymatic conditions and by the basic modification of the Bucherer-Strecker synthesis, with borane-THF. The synthesis of / -octopamine is presented in equation 64. 

The amination of naphthalene using primary or secondary amines is one type of modification, and the treatment of naphthol with a complex of Lewis acid and ammonia is another modification. The latter was reported before the Bucherer reaction was published. 

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