Chirality enzyme-mediated asymmetric

The catalytic, asymmetric hydrogenations of alkenes, ketones and imines are important transformations for the synthesis of chiral substrates. Organic dihydropyridine cofactors such as dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) are responsible for the enzyme-mediated asymmetric reductions of imines in living systems [86]. A biomimetic alternative to NADH is the Hantzsch dihydropyridine, 97. This simple compound has been an effective hydrogen source for the reductions of ketones and alkenes. A suitable catalyst is required to activate the substrate to hydride addition [87-89]. Recently, two groups have reported, independently, the use of 97 in the presence of a chiral phosphoric acid (68 or 98) catalyst for the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of imines. 

The oxidation of heteroatoms and, in particular, the conversion of sulfides to asymmetric sulfoxides has continued to be a highly active field in biocatalysis. In particular, the diverse biotransformations at sulfur have received the majority of attention in the area of enzyme-mediated heteroatom oxidation. This is particularly due to the versatile applicability of sulfoxides as chiral auxiliaries in a variety of transformations coupled with facile protocols for the ultimate removal [187]. 

A patent procedure for formation of compounds 19 from simple tartaric acid derivatives has appeared <06USP047129> and various new routes to chiral dioxolanones include synthesis of dioxolan-2-ones either by transition metal-mediated asymmetric synthesis <06T1864> or enzyme-mediated kinetic resolution <06H(68)1329> and a new synthesis of the chiral dioxolan-4-ones 21 from lactic or mandelic acid involving initial formation of intermediates 20 with trimethyl orthoformate in cyclohexane followed by reaction with pivalaldehyde <06S3915>. 

Efficient kinetic resolution of chiral unsaturated secondary alcohols by irreversible enzyme-mediated acylation (with vinyl acetate as acylating agent, a crude preparation of Pseudomonas AK, and hexane as solvent) is possible, provided one relatively large and one small substituent are attached to the carbinol carbon. However, the method can be used to resolve substrates that are not amenable to asymmetric epoxidation (see examples 23, 25, 27, 29, where the double bond is either deactivated by an electron-withdrawing substituent, or is of the propargyl alcohol type). Acylation of the / -enantiomer consistently proceeds faster than that of the 5-enantiomer. An example of an allenic alcohol was also reported248. 

Further work on the preparation of chiral a-amino-acids reported in the past year (see also the section on asymmetric hydrogenation) includes an extension of the utility of anions derived from lactim ethers (228) in the synthesis of such compounds by condensations with aldehydes and ketones chiral inductions are somewhat lower than in the alkylations of (228) reported previously (4, 320). Enzyme-mediated hydrolysis of 5(4H)-oxazolones by chymotrypsin or subtilisin gives a-acylamino-acids with good enantiomeric enrichments, especially if the substrate carries bulky substituents. Schiff s bases of a-amino-esters can be enriched enantiomerically to an extent of up to 70% by sequential deprotonation with a chiral lithium amide and protonation with an optically pure tartaric acid. ... 

Metabolic pathways containing dioxygenases in wild-type strains are usually related to detoxification processes upon conversion of aromatic xenobiotics to phenols and catechols, which are more readily excreted. Within such pathways, the intermediate chiral cis-diol is rearomatized by a dihydrodiol-dehydrogenase. While this mild route to catechols is also exploited synthetically [221], the chirality is lost. In the context of asymmetric synthesis, such further biotransformations have to be prevented, which was initially realized by using mutant strains deficient in enzymes responsible for the rearomatization. Today, several dioxygenases with complementary substrate profiles are available, as outlined in Table 9.6. Considering the delicate architecture of these enzyme complexes, recombinant whole-cell-mediated biotransformations are the only option for such conversions. E. coli is preferably used as host and fermentation protocols have been optimized [222,223]. 

The Evans Cu(II)- and Sn(II)-catalyzed processes are unique in their ability to mediate aldol additions to pyruvate. Thus, the process provides convenient access to tertiary a-hydroxy esters, a class of chiral compounds not otherwise readily accessed with known methods in asymmetric catalysis. The process has been extended further to include a-dike-tone 101 (Eqs. 8B2.22 and 8B2.23). It is remarkable that the Cu(II) and Sn(II) complexes display enzyme-like group selectivity, as the complexes can differentiate between ethyl and methyl groups in the addition of thiopropionate-derived Z-silyl ketene acetal to 101. As discussed above, either syn or anti diastereomers may be prepared by selection of the Cu(II) or Sn(II) catalyst, respectively. 

Bufuralol (11) is a p-adrcnoccptor agent (beta-blocker), developed by Roche [8,9], As part of a continuing program on the synthesis of substrates and metabolites for Cytochrome P450 studies, we wished to prepare both optically active bufuralol and an important metabolite, the hydroxybufuralol (12). This brief account of our efforts illustrates the way in which classical resolution is giving way to asymmetric synthesis, whether mediated by synthetic chiral auxiliaries, conventional catalysts, or enzymes. 

Apart from the asymmetric metal catalysis, enantioselective Baeyer-Villiger oxidations mediated by enzymes have been known for some time [32,33,34]. Both whole-cell cultures and isolated enzymes, usually flavin-dependent monooxygenases, can be used to oxidize ketones enantioselectively. For future improvements in the asymmetric Baeyer-VilHger oxidation the use of chiral Lewis acids in combination with an appropriate oxidant seems worthy of intensive investigation. 

Epoxides are key chiral synthetic intermediates and their enantioselective preparation by oxidation of achiral alkenes is a key reaction in many synthetic strategies. Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation is suitable for most allylic alcohols [26, 27], but few general procedures exist for unfunctionalized olefins. Jacobsen s manganese salen-mediated epoxidation is suitable for and gives good selectivities with Z-olefins (85 to 90% ee) [28]. The enzyme chloroperoxidase... 

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