By Asymmetric Synthesis

If an achiral ferrocene derivative is converted to a chiral one by chiral reagents or catalysts, this may be called an asymmetric synthesis. All asymmetric syntheses of ferrocene derivatives known so far are reductions of ferrocenyl ketones or aldehydes to chiral secondary alcohols. Early attempts to reduce benzoylferrocene by the Clemmensen procedure in (5)-l-methoxy-2-methylbutane as chiral solvent led to complex mixtures of products with low enantiomeric excess [65]. With (25, 3R)-4-dimethylamino-l,2-diphenyl-3-methyl-2-butanol as chiral modifier for the LiAlH4 reducing agent, the desired alcohol was formed with 53% ee (Fig. 4-9 a) [66]. An even better chiral ligand for LiAlH4 is natural quinine, which allows enantioselective reduction of several ferrocenyl ketones with up to 80% ee [67]. Inclusion complexes of ferrocenyl ketones with cyclodextrins can be reduced by NaBH4 with up to 84% enantioselectivity (Fig. 4-9 b) [68 — 70]. 

Microorganisms like baker s yeast are able to reduce some ferrocenyl ketones enantioselectively (for a review on microorganisms and enzymes for the reduction 

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Kinetic Resolutions. From a practical standpoint the principal difference between formation of a chiral molecule by kinetic resolution of a racemate and formation by asymmetric synthesis is that in the former case the maximum theoretical yield of the chiral product is 50% based on a racemic starting material. In the latter case a maximum yield of 100% is possible. If the reactivity of two enantiomers is substantially different the reaction virtually stops at 50% conversion, and enantiomericaHy pure substrate and product may be obtained ia close to 50% yield. Convenientiy, the enantiomeric purity of the substrate and the product depends strongly on the degree of conversion so that even ia those instances where reactivity of enantiomers is not substantially different, a high purity material may be obtained by sacrificing the overall yield. 

Amino acid separations represent another specific application of the technology. Amino acids are important synthesis precursors - in particular for pharmaceuticals -such as, for example, D-phenylglycine or D-parahydroxyphenylglycine in the preparation of semisynthetic penicillins. They are also used for other chiral fine chemicals and for incorporation into modified biologically active peptides. Since the unnatural amino acids cannot be obtained by fermentation or from natural sources, they must be prepared by conventional synthesis followed by racemate resolution, by asymmetric synthesis, or by biotransformation of chiral or prochiral precursors. Thus, amino acids represent an important class of compounds that can benefit from more efficient separations technology. 

Enantioenriched alcohols and amines are valuable building blocks for the synthesis of bioactive compounds. While some of them are available from nature s chiral pool , the large majority is accessible only by asymmetric synthesis or resolution of a racemic mixture. Similarly to DMAP, 64b is readily acylated by acetic anhydride to form a positively charged planar chiral acylpyridinium species [64b-Ac] (Fig. 43). The latter preferentially reacts with one enantiomer of a racemic alcohol by acyl-transfer thereby regenerating the free catalyst. For this type of reaction, the CsPhs-derivatives 64b/d have been found superior. 

The stereogenic centers of chiral dendrimers synthesized so far are either generated by asymmetric synthesis, or they are derived from molecules of the pool of chiral building blocks. The only investigation on chiral dendrimers, consisting of achiral building blocks exclusively, was published by Meijer et al., who synthesized dendrimers such as 31 [61] (Fig. 14). This compound ows its chiral-... 

Scheme 7 summarizes the synthesis of (7JR,llS)-7,ll-dimethylheptadecane (1), the female sex pheromone of the spring hemlock looper (Lambdina athasaria) by Mori [ 18]. Enantiopure alkanes are usually synthesized by coupling enantio-pure building blocks derived from natural products or compounds prepared by asymmetric synthesis. Even among hydrocarbons, chirality is very important for pheromone activity, and in this particular case meso-1 was bioactive, while neither (7R,11R)-1 nor (7S,11S)-1 showed bio activity. 

Chiral amines can also be produced using aminotransferases, either by kinetic resolution of the racemic amine or by asymmetric synthesis from the corresponding prochiral ketone. The reaction involves the transfer of an amino group, a proton and two electrons from a primary amine to a ketone, and proceeds via an intermediate imine adduct. A variety of chiral amines can be obtained with high to very high ee-values. Several transformations have been developed and can be carried out on a 100-kg scale [94]. 

The stereospecific conversion of sulfinates into sulfoxides of known chirality has been applied as a general method for determining the absolute configuration of a wide range of optically active sulfinic esters. For example, the absolute configurations of a series of alkyl alkanesulfinates obtained by asymmetric synthesis (107) or resolution via 3-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes (106) were determined by this method. 

Crystallization of optically active sulflmides 208 and 209 prepared by asymmetric synthesis results in a gradual increase of their melting points and optical rotations until the values given below are attained (138). The failure of successive crystallizations to affect these values... 

Synthesis of (—)-(5i , 6S)-6-acetoxyhexadecanolide, a mosquito oviposition pheromone of Culexpipiens fatigans, was also prepared by asymmetric synthesis. 

In planning the synthesis of biologically active compounds, strategies using aldonolactones or other compounds from the chiral pool should therefore continue to be considered, since they can provide attractive routes in comparison with alternative methods by asymmetric synthesis. 

Amino acids may be produced by biocatalysis either by asymmetric synthesis or... 

Enantiopure epoxides and vicinal diols are important versatile chiral building blocks for pharmaceuticals (Hanson, 1991). Their preparation has much in common and they may also be converted into one another. These chirons may be obtained both by asymmetric synthesis and resolution of racemic mixtures. When planning a synthetic strategy both enzymic and non-enzymic methods have to be taken into account. In recent years there has been considerable advance in non-enzymic methods as mentioned in part 2.1.1. Formation of epoxides and vicinal diols from aromatics is important for the break down of benzene compounds in nature (See part 2.6.5). 

It is quite common in EPC synthesis either by asymmetric synthesis or by optical resolution via diastereomers (vide infra) that chiral compounds arc obtained in an enantiomerically enriched, yet optically impure, form. In these cases the optical purity may be increased by crystallization if the compound forms either a conglomerate or a racemic mixture. In the case of conglomerates. one simply adds the amount of solvent necessary for dissolving the racemate. The excess enantiomer remains in crystalline form. 

Chemical modification may also simply be achieved by complex formation with an optically active agent191. For example, the correlation of the configuration of chiral non-racemic phosphate triesters, such as 11 (see p 417)11, with the relative (when compared with ent- ) change in H chemical shift of the methoxy doublet induced by the addition of Eu(hfc)3192 has been used for the assignment of absolute configuration of optically active phosphate triesters (chiral at phosphorus), which were obtained by asymmetric synthesis as indicated. 

Some of the /i-lactams used in alkylation reactions have themselves been prepared by asymmetric synthesis before their use as synthetic intermediates for the preparation of enantiomerically... 

Around 70% of the pharmaceuticals on the market are chiral, and approximately one third of these are chiral amines [1], This represents a substantial number of achve drug substances that are typically manufactured at a scale of 1-100 l y . The three main manufacturing processes used to introduce these homochiral centers are from optically active starting materials (the so-called Chiral Pool approach), by asymmetric synthesis and by resolution. The last technique is widely practiced but results in waste of the undesired enantiomer. This chapter deals with developments in asymmetric transformations, that is to say methods for augmenting the yield of amine resolution processes to theory 100%, resulting in an alternative to asymmetric synthesis and a practical Green Chemistry solution to the synthesis of optically active amines. Figure 13.1 shows different approaches to the asymmetric transformation that will be discussed in the chapter. 

In Section III, the syntheses of 2-methoxy-5,6-dihydro-2//-pyrans 2a and 2b are described in racemic and in both enantiomeric forms, and by asymmetric synthesis. Also, the synthesis of l,2 5,6-di-0-isopropylidene-3-0-(2,3,4-trideoxy-a-r.-g/ycero-hex-2-eno-pyranosyl)-a-D-glucofuranose, a precursor of several disaccharides, is presented. 

S,6S-6-Benzyloxymethyl-2-methoxy-5,6-dihydro-2H-pyran 4 by Asymmetric Synthesis [24,50] (Scheme 11)... 

The similarly constrained four isomers of 3,2, 6 -trimethylphenylalanine 33 have been prepared by asymmetric synthesis and incorporated into bioactive peptides. 39,401... 

Closely related in topographical structure, but with different and quite unique torsional properties, are the (3-isopropyl-substituted analogues of tyrosine 41,421 and phenylalanine. 43,441 All four isomers of each amino acid analogue have been prepared by asymmetric synthesis. In addition, the highly topographically constrained amino acid 3-isopropyl-2, 6 -dimethyl-tyrosine has been prepared by asymmetric synthesis/451... 

The synthesis of substituted cysteines can be accomplished via Michael addition reactions,]67124-126] by nucleophilic displacement,]127] from racemic thiazolines,]128] via aziridine ring opening,]129 and by asymmetric synthesis using a chiral auxiliary.]130] The details for some of these methods are described. 

Table I. Optically Active Carbonyl Compounds and Amines Prepared by Asymmetric Synthesis Using the SAMP/RAMP Hydrazone Method... 

The preparation of optically active /Mactams by asymmetric synthesis is also a topic of major interest, because of the pharmaceutical and biochemical importance of those molecules [44]. A typical and economical route consists of a [2+2]-cycloaddition of a ketene to an imine. Many diastereoselective versions of this reaction type are known [45] as well as catalytic processes involving chiral (metal) catalysts [46, 47] or biocatalysts [48]. A [2+2]-cycloaddition of a ketene to an imine, however, can also be performed very efficiently when applying nucleophilic amines as chiral catalysts [49-60]. Planar-chiral DMAP derivatives have also been found to be suitable catalysts [61]. 

In spite of important advances in asymmetric synthesis, chiral compounds cannot all be obtained in a pure state by asymmetric synthesis. As a result, enantiomer separation remains an important technique for obtaining optically active materials. Although asymmetric synthesis is a once-only procedure, an enantiomer separation process can be repeated until the optically pure sample is obtained. 

A number of pharmaceuticals now contain stereogenic heteroatoms where one enantiomer has the desired biological activity. An example is a sulfoxide, and perhaps the best-known example is esomeprazole (see Chapter 31).207 Access to these compounds by asymmetric synthesis has not been trivial. Although biological methodology continues to advance in terms of ee and substrate promiscuity, there is still considerable progress to be made before a general method is available. 

Kagan, H. B. Riant, O. Preparation of Chiral Ferrocenes by Asymmetric Synthesis or by Kinetic Resolution, Adv. Asym. Synth., Vol. 2,1997, Hassner, A. Ed. JALGreenwich, CT. 

This reagent is also prepared by the reaction of Methylrmgne-sium Bromide with optically active (S)-iV-sulfinyloxazolidinone, which is obtained by asymmetric synthesis from the oxazolidi-none derived from (41 ,55)-norephedrine with a low diastereose-lectivity (70 30) (eq 2). 

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