E-Alkene dipeptide isosteres

As described in Section 2.3.2, vinylaziridines are versatile intermediates for the stereoselective synthesis of (E)-alkene dipeptide isosteres. One of the simplest methods for the synthesis of alkene isosteres such as 242 and 243 via aziridine derivatives of type 240 and 241 (Scheme 2.59) involves the use of chiral anti- and syn-amino alcohols 238 and 239, synthesizable in turn from various chiral amino aldehydes 237. However, when a chiral N-protected amino aldehyde derived from a natural ot-amino acid is treated with an organometallic reagent such as vinylmag-nesium bromide, a mixture of anti- and syn-amino alcohols 238 and 239 is always obtained. Highly stereoselective syntheses of either anti- or syn-amino alcohols 238 or 239, and hence 2,3-trans- or 2,3-as-3-alkyl-2-vinylaziridines 240 or 241, from readily available amino aldehydes 237 had thus hitherto been difficult. Ibuka and coworkers overcame this difficulty by developing an extremely useful epimerization of vinylaziridines. Palladium(0)-catalyzed reactions of 2,3-trons-2-vinylaziri-dines 240 afforded the thermodynamically more stable 2,3-cis isomers 241 predominantly over 240 (241 240 >94 6) through 7i-allylpalladium intermediates, in accordance with ab initio calculations [29]. This epimerization allowed a highly stereoselective synthesis of (E) -alkene dipeptide isosteres 243 with the desired L,L-... 

A related palladium(O)-catalyzed epimerization of y-aziridinyl-a,P-enoates 244 was also reported by Ibuka, Ohno, Fujii, and coworkers (Scheme 2.60) [43]. Treatment of either isomer of 244 with a catalytic amount of Pd(PPh3)4 in THF yielded an equilibrated mixture in which the isomer 246 with the desired configuration predominated (246 other isomers = 85 15 to 94 6). In most cases the isomer 246 could be easily separated from the diastereomeric mixture by a simple recrystallization, and the organocopper-mediated ring-opening reaction of 246 directly afforded L,L-type (E)-alkene dipeptide isosteres 243. 

E)-alkene dipeptide isostere 48, 51, 63 alkenylepoxide 42 alkoxy carbonyl protecting group 32 P-alkoxy-a-amino esters... 

Aziridine cleavage based on an Sn2 reaction was used for the synthesis of peptides bearing E alkene dipeptide isosteres, a novel class of potent bombesin receptor antagonists [62]. Treatment of the vinylaziridine 86 (Scheme 9.19) with isobutyl and isopentyl magnesiocyanocuprates in THF at —78 °C for 30 min. stereospecifi-cally gave the desired E alkene isosteres 87 in high isolated yields [63]. 

Inokuchi E, Narumi T, Niida A, Kobayashi K, Tomita K, Oishi S, Ohno H, Fujii N. Efficient synthesis of trifluoromethyl and related trisubstituted alkene dipeptide isosteres by palladium-catalyzed carbonylation of amino acid derived allyUc carbonates. J. Org. Chem. 2008 73 3942-3945. 

Palladium-catalyzed coupling of allylic acetate 113 (Scheme 23) with diethyl malonate, or with acetylated diethyl tartronate, yielded the Boc-protected allylic amines 114 in 99 1 E stereoselectivity.1 "1 Saponification of 114 (R1 = H) and decarboxylation gave the Tyr- Ala alkene isostere 116 in quantitative yield, whereas 114 (R = OAc) was converted into the Tyr-Gly alkene isostere 115 in a two-step procedure in 62% overall yield. Considering the number of steps and the overall yield, this procedure is among the most efficient to prepare Xaatp, CH=CH]Gly dipeptide isosteres. 

The Z-alkene isostere mimics the cis-amide bond conformation. Its molecular volume and log p values are almost identical to those of the E-isostere (Table 1). Its use in bioactive peptides is very limited, probably because of the synthetic challenge involved. One study reports the migration of the double bond to the a,(3-position in an enkephalin analogue. 4 The Z-alkene in the Alat t[Z, CH=CH]Pro dipeptide isostere, however, was reported to be stable towards isomerization.1 1X1 orf/to-Substituted aromatic or tetrazole rings have been used more frequently as ds-amide bond mimics. 

A second application of the use of Lewis acid catalysis in the Julia coupling can be found in the synthesis of frawj-alkene isosteres of dipeptides (478 Scheme 62). Initially, attempts to couple aldehydes derived from amino acids (473) resulted in poor overall yield of the alkene. This difficulty was solved by reversing the substituents, and introducing the amino acid portion as the anion of sulfone (476) to the chiral aldehyde (477). The dianion of the sulfone was formed and to it were added 2 equiv. of aldehyde and 1 equiv. of diisobutylaluminum methoxide. The resulting p-hydroxy sulfone was t en on to the reductive elimination step to produce the desired (E)-alkene (478), in 74% overall yield. 

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