Enantioselective distillation

Figure 13.2 MDGC-ECD chromatograms of PCB fractions from sediment samples, demonstrating the separation of the enantiomers of (a) PCB 95, (b) PCB 132, and (c) PCB 149 non-labelled peaks were not identified. Reprinted from Journal of Chromatography, A 723, A. Glausch et al, Enantioselective analysis of chiral polyclilorinated biphenyls in sediment samples by multidimensional gas cliromatography-electi on-capture detection after steam distillation-solvent exti action and sulfur removal , pp. 399-404, copyright 1996, with permission from Elsevier Science.

Among the existing separation techniques, some - due to their intrinsic characteristics - are more adapted than others to processing large amounts of material. Such processes, which already exist at industrial level, can be considered in order to perform an enantioselective separation. This is the case for techniques such as distillation and foam flotation, both of which constitute well-known techniques that can be adapted to the separation of enantiomers. The involvement of a chiral selector can be the clue which changes a nonstereoselective process into an enantioselective one. Clearly, this selector must be adapted to the characteristics and limitations of the process itself. 

In another example of enantioselective distillation, it was the enantiomeric mixture to resolve itself which contributed to create a chiral environment. Thus, non-racemic mixtures of a-phenylethylamine were enantiomerically enriched by submitting to distillation different salts of this amine with achiral acids [199]. 

Jacobsen subsequently reported a practical and efficient method for promoting the highly enantioselective addition of TMSN3 to meso-epoxides (Scheme 7.3) [4]. The chiral (salen)Cl-Cl catalyst 2 is available commercially and is bench-stable. Other practical advantages of the system include the mild reaction conditions, tolerance of some Lewis basic functional groups, catalyst recyclability (up to 10 times at 1 mol% with no loss in activity or enantioselectivity), and amenability to use under solvent-free conditions. Song later demonstrated that the reaction could be performed in room temperature ionic liquids, such as l-butyl-3-methylimidazo-lium salts. Extraction of the product mixture with hexane allowed catalyst recycling and product isolation without recourse to distillation (Scheme 7.4) [5]. 

When a solution of 10a and 11 in ether was kept at room temperature for 12 h, a 2 1 inclusion complex of 10a and 11 was obtained as colorless prisms (m.p. 134-137 °C) in 72% yield. When a powdered mixture of the inclusion crystal and 7 was kept at room temperature in the solid state for 3 days, (+)-trans-1,2-dibromocyclohexane (12) of 12% ee was obtained in 56% yield by distillation of the reaction mixture [3]. Much more efficient enantioselective reactions in the solid state are described in Sect. 6. 

Kim et al. [61] demonstrated that with the change in counter ion in Co(III)-X where (X= 9-17), the catalysts could be reused ten times after simple distillation of products without observable loss in activity and enantioselectivity for HKR of epichlorohydrin. Interestingly the catalyst-regeneration step was not required with the use of PFe 11 and BF4 12 as counter ion in this system (Scheme 4). 

Separation of catalysts from high-value products such as fine chemicals or pharmaceuticals is often accomplished by precipitating the catalyst from the product solution. Recycling of these catalysts is feasible, provided that they do not decompose. In industry, catalyst recovery by means of catalyst precipitation is applied only in relatively small batch processes. An example of such a process is the production of (—)-menthol (id) in which an Rh-BINAP isomerization catalyst converts the allylic amine substrate into (R)-citronellal (after hydrolysis of the enamine) in high yield (99%) and with high enantioselectivity (98.5% ee). After distillation of the solvent (THF) and product, the catalyst is recovered from the residue by precipitation with -heptane. 

Seebach and Naef1961 generated chiral enolates with asymmetric induction from a-heterosubstituted carboxylic acids. Reactions of these enolates with alkyl halides were found to be highly diastereoselective. Thus, the overall enantioselective a-alkyla-tion of chiral, non-racemic a-heterosubstituted carboxylic acids was realized. No external chiral auxiliary was necessary in order to produce the a-alkylated target molecules. Thus, (S)-proline was refluxed in a pentane solution of pivalaldehyde in the presence of an acid catalyst, with azeotropic removal of water. (197) was isolated as a single diastereomer by distillation. The enolate generated from (197) was allylated and produced (198) with ad.s. value >98 %. The substitution (197) ->(198) probably takes place with retention of configuration 196>. 

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