Dehydroamino hydrogenation

In 2004, a series of other chiral thioether-phosphine ligands based on a cyclopropane backbone were evaluated in the rhodium-catalysed hydrogenation of a dehydroamino acid by Molander el al As shown in Scheme 8.2, even if these ligands were generally active, only moderate enantioselectivities of up to 47% ee were obtained. 

Scheme 8.2 Hydrogenation of dehydroamino acid with thioether-phosphine cyclo-propanated ligands.

In 2006, Berens et al. reported the synthesis of novel benzothiophene-based DuPHOS analogues, which gave excellent levels of enantioselectivity when applied as the ligands to the asymmetric rhodium-catalysed hydrogenation of various olefins, such as dehydroamino acid derivatives, enamides and itaco-nates (Scheme 8.10). ... 

In 1998, Ruiz et al. reported the synthesis of new chiral dithioether ligands based on a pyrrolidine backbone from (+ )-L-tartaric acid. Their corresponding cationic iridium complexes were further evaluated as catalysts for the asymmetric hydrogenation of prochiral dehydroamino acid derivatives and itaconic acid, providing enantioselectivities of up to 68% ee, as shown in Scheme 8.18. 

Enantioselectivities of up to 47% ee were reported by Ruiz et al. in 1997 for the asymmetric hydrogenation of various prochiral dehydroamino acid derivatives and itaconic acid by using iridium cationic complexes of the novel chiral... 

After the precatalyst is completely converted to the active catalyst Xq, three steps are required to form the desired reduction product. The first step is the coordination of dehydroamino acid (A) to the rhodium atom forming adducts (Xi) and (Xi ) through C=C as well as the protecting group carbonyl. The next step is the oxidative addition of hydrogen to form the intermediate (X2). The insertion of solvent (B) is the third step, removing the product (P) from X2 and regenerating Xq. Hence, the establishment of the kinetic model involves these three irreversible steps. 

The use of rhodium catalysts for the synthesis of a-amino acids by asymmetric hydrogenation of V-acyl dehydro amino acids, frequently in combination with the use of a biocatalyst to upgrade the enantioselectivity and cleave the acyl group which acts as a secondary binding site for the catalyst, has been well-documented. While DuPhos and BPE derived catalysts are suitable for a broad array of dehydroamino acid substrates, a particular challenge posed by a hydrogenation approach to 3,3-diphenylalanine is that the olefin substrate is tetra-substituted and therefore would be expected to have a much lower activity compared to substrates which have been previously examined. 

As expected initial examination of the hydrogenation of this substrate revealed its relatively low activity compared to dehydroamino acids that provide 3-aryl-a-amino acids. By carrying out the hydrogenation at an elevated temperature, however, the inherent low activity could be overcome. A screen of the Dowpharma catalyst collection at S/C 100 revealed that several rhodium catalysts provided good conversion and enantioselectivity while low activity and selectivity was observed with several ruthenium and iridium catalysts. Examination of rate data identified [(l )-PhanePhos Rh (COD)]Bp4 as the most active catalyst with a rate approximately... 

A C2-symmetric bisphosphane FerroPhos has been developed by Kang and is found to be efficient for the Rh-catalyzed hydrogenation of a-dehydroamino acid derivatives.86,863 Knochel has independently reported a class of FERRIPHOS (MandyPhos) with similar structural features. All these ligands have provided excellent... 

Fu has reported a planar-chiral bisphosphorus ligand 45 with a phosphaferrocene backbone. The ligand has provided enantioselectivity up to 96% ee in the hydrogenation of a-dehydroamino acid derivatives.99 Another planar-chiral ferrocene-based bisphosphorus ligand 46 has been reported by Kagan recently and enantioselectivity up to 95% ee has been obtained in the reduction of dimethyl itaconate.100... 

Hydrogenation of ct-dehydroamino acid derivatives has been a typical reaction to test the efficiency of new chiral phosphorus ligands. Indeed, a number of chiral phosphorus ligands with great structural diversity are found to be effective for the Rh-catalyzed hydrogenation of a-dehydroamino acid derivatives. Since (Z)-2-(acetamido)cinnamic... 

Table 2 Asymmetric hydrogenation of / ,/3-dimethyl a-dehydroamino acid esters...

Compared to the great advance achieved in the Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation, the Ru-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of ct-dehydroamino acid derivatives takes a different mechanistic pathway,215 and little success has been made. 

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