Carboxyl groups, protection synthesis, from

The pentaaminecobalt(III) complex has been prepared from amino acids to protect the carboxyl group during peptide synthesis [(H20)Co(NH3)5(C104)3, 70 , H2O,... 

In the second major method of peptide synthesis the carboxyl group is activated by converting it to an active ester, usually a p-nitrophenyl ester. Recall from Section 20.12 that esters react with ammonia and amines to give fflnides. p-Nitrophenyl esters are much more reactive than methyl and ethyl esters in these reactions because p-nitrophenoxide is a better (less basic) leaving group than methoxide and ethoxide. Simply allowing the active ester and a C-protected amino acid to stand in a suitable solvent is sufficient to bring about peptide bond formation by nucleophilic acyl substitution. 

Scheme 4 outlines the synthesis of key intermediate 7 in its correct absolute stereochemical form from readily available (S)-(-)-malic acid (15). Simultaneous protection of the contiguous carboxyl and secondary hydroxyl groups in the form of an acetonide proceeds smoothly with 2,2 -dimethoxypropane and para-toluene-sulfonic acid and provides intermediate 26 as a crystalline solid in 75-85 % yield. Chemoselective reduction of the terminal carboxyl group in 26 with borane-tetrahydrofuran complex (B H3 THF) affords a primary hydroxyl group that attacks the proximal carbonyl group, upon acidification, to give a hydroxybutyrolactone. Treat-... 

Another way for the synthesis of cefoxitin is started from 7-aminocephalosporanic acid, more correct, from its benzhydryl ester (32.1.2.31), which is synthesized by previous tosylation of the amino group of the initial 7-aminocephalosporanic acid, esterification of the carboxyl group by diphenyldiazomethane, and subsequent removal of the tosyl protection. 

Fig. 7. Synthesis of selectively protected methotrexate (MTX) derivative. The synthesis of ten-butyl ester of the ot-carboxyl group of the glutamic acid moiety in MTX from APA (4-amino-4-deoxy-N10-methylpteroic acid), an MTX precursor (according to [148])...

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