Chrysanthemic esters, resolution

Menthol ester (20) with (l/ S)-frans-2,2-dimethyl-3-(2,2-dichloroethenyl) cyclopropanecarboxylic acid (19) has been utilized to produce ( R)-trans-2, 2-dimethyl-3-(2,2-dichloroethenyl) cyclopropanecarboxylic acid (21), an acid moiety of transfluthrin (22) [9]. Matsuo et al. surveyed various optically active secondary alcohols for their potential in the optical resolution of (lRS)-trans-chrysanthemic acid [10] (Scheme 2). 

In a recent study, chiral separations for pyrethroic acids, which are the chiral building blocks of synthetic pyrethroids and the primary metabolites of the acid part of these potent ester insecticides, have been developed [62], For example, a polar-organic mobile phase allowed the complete baseline resolution of all four stereoisomers of chrysanthemic acid (2,2-dimethyl-3-(2-methylprop-l-enyl)-cyclopropanecarboxylic acid) on a 0-9-(tcrt-butylcarbamoyl)quinine-based CSP(acjj = 1.20, oLtrans = 1-35, critical Rs = 3.03) (Figure 1,32a). This chiral acid is the precursor of pyrethroids like allethrin, phenothrin, resmethrin, and tetramethrin but not excreted as metabolite. The primary acid metabolite of these pyrethroids is chrysanthemum dicarboxylic acid (3-[(l )-2-carboxyprop-l-enyl]-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid) the stereoisomers of which could also be resolved with a reversed-phase eluent (acetonitrile— 30-mM ammonium acetate buffer 90 10, v/v pHa = 6.0) and employing an O-9-(2,6-diisopropylphenylcarbamoyl)quinine-based CSP ads = 1-09, atrans = 1-50,... 

In certain cases, especially for neutral substrates, the formation of covalent p,n-pairs, instead of salts, may be necessary to achieve optical resolution by crystallization. Suitable derivatives are esters of camphanic acid (1) or chrysanthemic acid (2) with racemic alcohols, or esters of menthol (3) and 1-phenylethanol (5) with racemic acids, or hydrazones of menthylhydrazine (4) with racemic aldehydes and ketones. 

Synthetic pyrethroids are a group of ester compounds having excellent insecticidal activities. After the discovery of allethrin (1), a variety of useful synthetic pyrethroids have been produced mainly by structural modification of an alcohol having an asymmetric center. The insecticidal activities greatly depend upon the stereoisomers. Therefore, much effort has been expended to develop technologies for obtaining optically active isomers. However, contrary to the case of chrysanthemic acid, chemical methods of optical resolution were not very effective for these alcohols. 

Derivatives of chrysanthemic acid such as (H ,3f )-permethrinic acid 143 are in demand for the manufacture of highly specific insecticides that do not persist in the environment. Mixtures of the esters 142 are easy to make and contain various proportions of the cis and trans diastereoisomers. Pig liver esterase accepts only the trans esters as substrates so complete hydrolysis gives the unchanged cis esters and hydrolysed but poorly resolved trans acids. At 50% conversion, kinetic resolution of the trans esters occurs.36... 

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