Carboxylic esters kinetic resolution

The preparation of enantiomerically enriched a-ketosulphoxides 272 was also based on a kinetic resolution involving the reaction of the carbanion 273 derived from racemic aryl methyl sulphoxides with a deficiency of optically active carboxylic esters 274334, (equation 151). The degree of stereoselectivity in this reaction is strongly dependent on the nature of both the group R and the chiral residue R in 274. Thus, the a-ketosulphoxide formed in the reaction with menthyl esters had an optical yield of 1.3% for R = Et. In the... 

Nechah, M., Azzi, N., Vanthuyne, N., Bertrand, M., Gastaldi, S. and Gil, G., Highly selective enzymatic kinetic resolution of primary amines at 80°C a comparative study of carboxylic acids and their ethyl esters as acyl donors. J. Org. Chem., 2007, 72, 6918-6923. 

Enzymes such as pig liver esterase have been successfully applied in enantioselective hydrolysis of allenyl esters on a scale of 2 mmoles131. This provides the enantiomerically enriched allene-carboxylic acid as well as the ester of opposite configuration, by what is in fact a catalytic kinetic resolution (6-90% oy). Conversely, partial enantioselective esterification of /1-hydroxy-allenes (3-72% oy) employing lipases has been reported132,133. 

Dynamic Resolution of Chirally Labile Racemic Compounds. In ordinary kinetic resolution processes, however, the maximum yield of one enantiomer is 50%, and the ee value is affected by the extent of conversion. On the other hand, racemic compounds with a chirally labile stereogenic center may, under certain conditions, be converted to one major stereoisomer, for which the chemical yield may be 100% and the ee independent of conversion. As shown in Scheme 62, asymmetric hydrogenation of 2-substituted 3-oxo carboxylic esters provides the opportunity to produce one stereoisomer among four possible isomers in a diastereoselective and enantioselective manner. To accomplish this ideal second-order stereoselective synthesis, three conditions must be satisfied (1) racemization of the ketonic substrates must be sufficiently fast with respect to hydrogenation, (2) stereochemical control by chiral metal catalysts must be efficient, and (3) the C(2) stereogenic center must clearly differentiate between the syn and anti transition states. Systematic study has revealed that the efficiency of the dynamic kinetic resolution in the BINAP-Ru(H)-catalyzed hydrogenation is markedly influenced by the structures of the substrates and the reaction conditions, including choice of solvents. 

These results, obtained with chiral substrates, agree with the general sense of enantioselective hydrogenation of prochiral 3-oxo carboxylic esters. Obviously, the chirality of the BINAP ligand controls the facial selectivity at the carbonyl function, whereas cyclic constraints determine the relative reactivities of the enantiomeric substrates. Sterically restricted transition states that lead to the major stereoisomers are shown in Scheme 66. Overall, one of four possible diastereomeric transition states is selected to afford high stereoselectivity by dynamic kinetic resolution that involves in situ racemization of the substrates. 

Deng and co-workers have also applied the cinchona derivatives to the kinetic resolution of protected a-amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides 51 [48]. A variety of alkyl and aryl-substituted amino acids may be prepared with high se-lectivities (krei=23-170, see Scheme 10). Hydrolysis of the starting material, in the presence of the product and catalyst, followed by extractive workup allows for recovery of ester, carboxylic acid, and catalyst. The catalyst may be recycled with little effect on selectivity (run 1, krei=114 run 2, krei=104). The reaction exhibits first-order dependence on methanol and catalyst and a kinetic isotope effect (A MeOH/ MeOD=l-3). The authors postulate that this is most consistent with a mechanism wherein rate-determining attack of alcohol is facilitated by (DHQD)2AQN acting as a general base. 5-Alkyl 1,3-dioxolanes 52 may also... 

Chiral A-salicylidene vanadyl carboxylates are efficient catalysts for asymmetric aerobic oxidation of a-hydoxy esters and amides with divergent substituents. These catalysts have been explored for the kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols also. The stereochemical origin of the almost total asymmetric control has been probed.262... 

Quite remarkable progress has also been achieved in enantioselective transformation of cyclic anhydrides derived from a-hydroxy and a-amino carboxylic acids. By careful choice of the reaction conditions, dynamic kinetic resolution by alcoholysis has become reality for a broad range of substrates. Again, the above mentioned dimeric cinchona alkaloids were the catalysts of choice. In other words, organoca-talytic methods are now available for high-yielding conversion of racemic a-hydroxy and a-amino acids to their enantiomerically pure esters. If desired, the latter esters can be converted back to the parent - but enantiomerically pure - acids by subsequent ester cleavage. 

Cu(OTf)2 (2mol%) is required (Equation (110)).183 The nature of the copper salt strongly influences the enantio-selectivity, and copper carboxylates proved to be especially efficient (Equation (lll)).184b It has been applied for an enantioselective synthesis of prostaglandin E methyl ester (Equation (112)),185 and can be used for the performance of a highly regiodivergent and catalytic parallel kinetic resolution.186... 

Hundreds of impressive examples of enantioselective lipase-catalysed reactions are known, including industrial processes as in the case of the BASF method of chiral amine production (Collins et al. 1997 Breuer et al. 2004 Schmid and Verger 1998). However, the classical problem of substrate acceptance or lack of enantioselectivity (or both) persists. We were able to meet this challenge in model studies regarding the hydrolytic kinetic resolution of the ester rac-1 with formation of carboxylic acid 2, catalysed by the lipase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The wild-type (WT) lipase is only slightly (S )-selective, the selectivity factor amounting to a mere E = 1.1 (Scheme 1). 

Lipases are the most frequently used enzymes in organic chemistry, catalyzing the hydrolysis of carboxylic acid esters or the reverse reaction in organic solvents [3,5,34,70]. The first example of directed evolution of an enantioselective enzyme according to the principle outlined in Fig. 11.2 concerns the hydrolytic kinetic resolution of the chiral ester 9 catalyzed by the bacterial lipase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa [8], This enzyme is composed of 285 amino acids [32]. It is an active catalyst for the model reaction, but enantioselectivity is poor (ee 5 % in favor of the (S)-acid 10 at about 50 % conversion) (Fig. 11.10) [71]. The selectivity factor E, which reflects the relative rate of the reactions of the (S)- and (R)-substrates, is only 1.1. 

Lipases are of remarkable practical interest since they have been used in numerous biocatalytic applications, such as kinetic resolution of alcohols and carboxyl esters (both in water and in non-aqueous media) [1], regioselective acylations of poly-hydroxylated compounds, and the preparation of enantiopure amino acids and amides [2, 3]. Moreover, lipases are stable in organic solvents, do not require cofactors, possess broad substrate specificity, and exhibit, in general, a high enantioselectivity. All these features have contributed to make hpases the class of enzyme with the highest number of biocatalytic applications carried out in neat organic solvents. 

Lipases have been extensively used for the kinetic resolution of racemic alcohols or carboxylic acids in organic solvents. Chiral alcohols are usually reacted with achiral activated esters (such as vinyl, isopropenyh and trichloroethyl esters) for shifting the equilibrium to the desired products and avoiding problems of reversibility. For the same reasons, chiral acids are often resolved by using acidolysis of esters. In both cases, the overall stereoselectivity is affected by the thermodynamic activity of water of water favors hydrolytic reactions leading to a decrease in the optical purity of the desired ester. Direct esterifications are therefore difficult to apply since water formed during the reaction may increase the o of the system, favors reversibiUty, and diminishes the overall stereoselectivity. 

In the presence of a catalytic amount of the chiral titanium reagent (8) prepared from titanium tetraisopropoxide and the (/ )-1,4-diol, kinetic resolution of 5 -(2-pyridyl) thioesters of a-aryl carboxylic acids is achieved with high relative rate of both the enantiomers to give the (f )-isopropyl esters with high optical purity (eq 17). ... 

Kitamura, M., Tokunaga, M., Noyori, R. Quantitative expression of dynamic kinetic resolution of chirally labile enantiomers stereoselective hydrogenation of 2-substituted 3-oxo carboxylic esters catalyzed by BINAP-ruthenium(ll) complexes. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1993,115, 144-152. 

Proteases such as a-chymotrypsin, papain, and subtilisin are also useful biocatalysts for regio-selective or stereoselective hydrolytic biotransformations. For example, dibenzyl esters of aspartic and glutamic acid can be selectively deprotected at the 1-position by subtilisin-catalyzed hydrolysis (Fig. 6). In addition, a-chymotrypsin is used in the kinetic resolution of a-nitro-a-methyl carboxylates, which results in l-configured enantiomers of the unhydrolyzed esters with high optical purity (>95% e.e.). ... 

One of the limiting factors in obtaining efficient esterase antibodies is the observation of product inhibition by the carboxylate product. Non-phosphonate haptens have been used to induce esterase activity in antibodies [17]. Alternatively, taking carbonates as substrates instead of esters provides an elegant solution to the problem of product inhibition, as demonstrated in a kinetic resolution experiment [18]. This might be the most practical approach to obtain preparatively useful esterase catalytic antibodies in the future for kinetic resolu-... 

S)-Naproxen Kinetic resolution by carboxylic ester hydrolysis (recombinant esterase) Development stage Chirotech Sha-sun Chemicals, India [14]... 

A more thorough analysis of the enantioselectivity of several commercially available alkaline proteases was performed by determining the enantioselectivity fador E of these enzymes in the hydrolysis of (R,S)-4. In order to determine the enantioselectivity factor E accurately (the kinetic ratios for the conversion of the two enantiomers in a first-order kinetic resolution) [11], accurate measurement of the optical purity of the product acid and unreacted ester is necessary. Separation of the carboxylic acid enantiomers by gas chromatography was not possible due to decomposition of the acid on the column, so a derivatization method was developed to convert the acid into the corresponding methyl ester. Treatment of the extracted acid and ester with trimethylsilyldiazomethane resulted in the conversion of the acid into the methyl... 

However, the closely related amino acid 133 was not a substrate for either lipase (from pigs or Candida) but could be resolved with the proteolytic enzyme papain. This acted as an esterase, hydrolysing the methyl ester rather than the amide. Note that this kinetic resolution produces a single enantiomer of the carboxylic acid rather than the alcohol and that separation of 134 from 133 is very easy as the free acid can be extracted from organic solvents by aqueous base in which it is soluble as the anion. 

Activated acyl donors such as vinyl esters, halogenated methyl or ethyl ester, oxime esters or carboxylic acid anhydrides are often preferred for acylation of alcohols. With vinyl esters, acylation is in general fast and quantitative, as the equilibrium is driven by the release of vinyl alcohol, which will spontaneously tautomerize to volatile acetaldehyde. Amine nucleophiles will typically react spontaneously with these acyl donors, which hence cannot be used for resolution of amines. Vinyl acetate and ethyl acetate are common reagents (and often also solvents) for enzymatic kinetic resolution of alcohols and amines, respectively [9],... 

In addition to in situ racemization of a-substituted carboxylic acid derivatives by deprotonation/reprotonation, a procedure involving halide exchange has been developed135, 361. Whilst the a-halo esters undergo racemization at a reasonable rate, the corresponding carboxylates are almost inert to racemization under the reaction conditions. Using immobilized phosphonium halide and CLEC (cross-linked enzyme crystals), a dynamic resolution procedure has been developed for the hydrolysis of a-bromo and a-chloro esters (Fig. 9-17). The enantiomeric excess in each case was similar to that achieved for simple kinetic resolution reactions using the same enzyme/substrate combinations. 

Kinetic resolution of alcohols and esters with hydrolases has opened up a new dimension for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure alcohols, esters and carboxylic acids, and in consequence the importance of resolution as a method for the attainment of enantiomerically pure compounds has been increased considerably. Hydrolase-catalyzed resolution is amenable to large-scale production l33-351, as was impressively demonstrated much earlier by the acylase-catalyzed racemate separation of N-acyl amino acids (not discussed in this chapter)ls4]. 

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