Chemoselectivity amine reduction

A pH-dependent chemoselective catalytic reductive amination of a-keto acids, affording a-amino acids with HCOONH4 in water, was achieved using the complex 31 or its precursor 28 as the catalyst [51]. The formation rates of alanine and lactic acid from pyruvic acid exhibited a maximum value around pH 5 and pH 3, respectively, and therefore, alanine was obtained quite selectively (96%) with a small amount of lactic acid (4%) at pH 5 (Scheme 5.18). A variety of nonpolar, uncharged polar and charged polar amino acids were also synthesized in high yields. 

Sodium cyanoborohydride is remarkably chemoselective. Reduction of aldehydes and ketones are, unlike those with NaBH pH-dependent, and practical reduction rates are achieved at pH 3 to 4. At pH 5—7, imines (>C=N—) are reduced more rapidly than carbonyls. This reactivity permits reductive amination of aldehydes and ketones under very mild conditions (42). 

Burk et al. showed the enantioselective hydrogenation of a broad range of N-acylhydrazones 146 to occur readily with [Et-DuPhos Rh(COD)]OTf [14]. The reaction was found to be extremely chemoselective, with little or no reduction of alkenes, alkynes, ketones, aldehydes, esters, nitriles, imines, carbon-halogen, or nitro groups occurring. Excellent enantioselectivities were achieved (88-97% ee) at reasonable rates (TOF up to 500 h ) under very mild conditions (4 bar H2, 20°C). The products from these reactions could be easily converted into chiral amines or a-amino acids by cleavage of the N-N bond with samarium diiodide. 

Electrocatalytic hydrogenation has the advantage of milder reaction conditions compared to catalytic hydrogenation. The development of various electrode materials (e.g., massive electrodes, powder cathodes, polymer film electrodes) and the optimization of reaction conditions have led to highly selective electrocatalytic hydrogenations. These are very suitable for the conversion of aliphatic and aromatic nitro compounds to amines and a, fi-unsaturated ketones to saturated ketones. The field is reviewed with 173 references in [158]. While the reduction of conjugated enones does not always proceed chemoselectively at a Hg cathode, the use of a carbon felt electrode coated with polyviologen/Pd particles provided saturated ketones exclusively (Fig. 34) [159]. 

The Br0nsted acid catalyzed enantioselective reduction of several methyl-aryl ketimines affords the corresponding amines in good yields and enantioselectivities (Table 4.1). The mild reaction conditions and generally good chemoselectivity of this transfer hydrogenation render this transformation an attractive and metal-free approach to optically active amines. 

Rapid reduction of aromatic nitro compounds into amines has been described using sodium hypophosphite and FeSC>4-7H20. The reactions showed best results in terms of yields and purity, when the substrates were pre-absorbed on alumina and irradiated by microwaves under solvent-free conditions. The reaction is chemoselective and does not affect functional groups such as CN, OH, COOH, CONH2 or halogens. In addition, oximes were not reduced under the given reaction conditions, but were dehydrated to the corresponding nitriles instead (Scheme 4.32)57. 

More recently, Bradley has demonstrated the chemoselective capture of primary amines over secondary amines using a polymeric methacrylate (AAEM) 13 as a purification method for an in-situ reductive amination procedure (Scheme 5) [13]. Reduction of the imines 17a-c (formed by addition of benzaldehyde 15 to an excess of the primary amines 16a-c) gave the required secondary amines 18a-c. The remaining unwanted primary amines 16a-c was chemoselectively removed by the addition of the scavenger resin, acetoacetoxy ethyl methacrylate (AAEM) 13 to give the enamines 19a-c. Simple filtration of the reaction mixture gave the required secondary amine in good yield and excellent purity. Previously, within this area benzaldehyde-based resins (like 14) have been used, but were problematic, as they were particularly air sensitive. 

Rh and Ir complexes stabilized by tertiary (chiral) phosphorus ligands are the most active and the most versatile catalysts. Although standard hydrogenations of olefins, ketones and reductive aminations are best performed using heterogeneous catalysts (see above), homogeneous catalysis becomes the method of choice once selectivity is called for. An example is the chemoselective hydrogenation of a,/ -unsaturated aldehydes which is a severe test for the selectivity of catalysts. 

The next aim was the preparation of the secondary amine 225 (Scheme 23). Reduction of the nitrile as well as of the nitrilium salt led only to mediocre yields. Therefore, the author saponified the nitrile 210 chemoselectively to the amide 222... 

Chemoselective primary amine synthesis is directly from ketones and ammonia, and is a very challenging project [316], TolBINAP-Ru complex can catalyze the reductive amination of certain ketones to give the corresponding amines in up to 95% e.e. (Eq. 2.39) [317]. 

The utility of reductive amination with NaBHsCN in synthesis is contained in reviews and successful applications have been compiled through 1978. Table 7 provides a variety of examples taken from more recent accounts and chosen to illustrate the versatility and compatibility of the process with diverse structural types and chemoselectivity demands. Thus, esters (entries 2-4, 8-12), amides (entries 3, 6-9, 12), nitro groups (entry 13), alkenes (entry 2), cyclopropyl groups (entry 2), organometallics (entry 5), amine oxides (entry 14) and various heterocyclic rings (entries 1, 3, 5-10) all survive intact. Entry 6 illustrates that deuterium can be conveniently inserted via the readily available NaBDjCN, and entry 15 demonstrates that double reductive amination with diones can be utilized to afford cyclic amines. 

The usefulness of reductive amination is augmented by the facile methylation of amines with formaldehyde (usually in MeCN), which provides a convenient, mild alternative to Clark-Eschweiler and other methylation procedures. Table 8 presents a selection of successful methylation applications with various amines, and further illustrates the chemoselectivity and versatility of the process. 

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