Enantiomeric reductions

The enantiomeric reduction of 2-nitro-l-phenylprop-l-ene has been studied in a range of Gram-positive organisms including strains of Rhodococcus rhodochrous (Sakai et al. 1985). The enantiomeric purity of the product depended on the strain used, the length of cultivation, and the maintenance of a low pH that is consistent with the later results of Meah and Massey (2000). It has been shown that an NADPH-linked reduction of a,p-unsaturated nitro compounds may also be accomplished by old yellow enzyme via the flcf-nitro form (Meah and Massey 2000). This is formally analogous to the reduction and dismutation of cyclic enones by the same enzyme (Vaz et al. 1995), and the reductive fission of nitrate esters by an enzyme homologous to the old yellow enzyme from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Snape et al. 1997). 

Finally, the group of Zhou has recently published the first Pd-catalyzed enantiomeric reduction of ketones using Me-DuPhos [197]. By performing the reaction in TFE, a series of a-phthalimido ketones 140 were reduced in high yield and 75-92% ee, albeit at high catalyst loadings (SCR 50), reaction times (12 h) and pressures (13.7 atm). This procedure was extended to include ketones 134 (R=Ph, R = Et), 139 (Ar=Ph), and 141. 

An asymmetric synthesis of estrone begins with an asymmetric Michael addition of lithium enolate (178) to the scalemic sulfoxide (179). Direct treatment of the cmde Michael adduct with y /i7-chloroperbenzoic acid to oxidize the sulfoxide to a sulfone, followed by reductive removal of the bromine affords (180, X = a and PH R = H) in over 90% yield. Similarly to the conversion of (175) to (176), base-catalyzed epimerization of (180) produces an 85% isolated yield of (181, X = /5H R = H). C8 and C14 of (181) have the same relative and absolute stereochemistry as that of the naturally occurring steroids. Methylation of (181) provides (182). A (CH2)2CuLi-induced reductive cleavage of sulfone (182) followed by stereoselective alkylation of the resultant enolate with an allyl bromide yields (183). Ozonolysis of (183) produces (184) (wherein the aldehydric oxygen is by isopropyUdene) in 68% yield. Compound (184) is the optically active form of Ziegler s intermediate (176), and is converted to (+)-estrone in 6.3% overall yield and >95% enantiomeric excess (200). 

Reaction of an achiral reagent with a molecule exhibiting enantiotopic faces will produce equal quantities of enantiomers, and a racemic mixture will result. The achiral reagent sodium borodeuteride, for example, will produce racemic l-deM/eno-ethanol. Chiral reagent can discriminate between the prochiral faces, and the reaction will be enantioselective. Enzymatic reduction of acetaldehyde- -[Pg.106]

The milder metal hydnde reagents are also used in stereoselective reductions Inclusion complexes of amine-borane reagent with cyclodexnins reduce ketones to opucally active alcohols, sometimes in modest enantiomeric excess [59] (equation 48). Diisobutylaluminum hydride modified by zmc bromide-MMA. A -tetra-methylethylenediamme (TMEDA) reduces a,a-difluoro-[i-hydroxy ketones to give predominantly erythro-2,2-difluoro-l,3-diols [60] (equation 49). The three isomers are formed on reduction with aluminum isopropoxide... 

J -Dehydroquinolizidine reacts with the enantiomeric (—)- and (-l-)-menthyl chloroformates forming (—)- and (-l-)-menthoxycarbonyl- -dehydroquinolizidines. These can be reduced as such or in the form of their immonium salts with sodium borohydride to (—)- and (+)-l-menthoxy-carbonylquinolizidines, which give (+)- and (-)-lupinin, respectively, on reduction with lithium aluminum hydride (243). The optical yield of the asymmetric reduction is about 10%. 

Wide variations in stereoselectivity are possible between the and Z isomers (79). In hydrogenation of several ( )- and (Z)-a-acylaminocinnamic acid derivatives, the Z isomers gave greater enantiomeric excesses at 15-100 times the rate of reduction of the isomer, but in all cases the 5 enantiomer was formed in greater excess (//7). The greater effectiveness of Z-olefins is general If8). 

From intermediate 28, the construction of aldehyde 8 only requires a few straightforward steps. Thus, alkylation of the newly introduced C-3 secondary hydroxyl with methyl iodide, followed by hydrogenolysis of the C-5 benzyl ether, furnishes primary alcohol ( )-29. With a free primary hydroxyl group, compound ( )-29 provides a convenient opportunity for optical resolution at this stage. Indeed, separation of the equimolar mixture of diastereo-meric urethanes (carbamates) resulting from the action of (S)-(-)-a-methylbenzylisocyanate on ( )-29, followed by lithium aluminum hydride reduction of the separated urethanes, provides both enantiomers of 29 in optically active form. Oxidation of the levorotatory alcohol (-)-29 with PCC furnishes enantiomerically pure aldehyde 8 (88 % yield). 

The synthesis of the E-ring intermediate 20 commences with the methyl ester of enantiomerically pure L-serine hydrochloride (22) (see Scheme 9). The primary amino group of 22 can be alkylated in a straightforward manner by treatment with acetaldehyde, followed by reduction of the intermediate imine with sodium borohydride (see 22 —> 51). The primary hydroxyl and secondary amino groups in 51 are affixed to adjacent carbon atoms. By virtue of this close spatial relationship, it seemed reasonable to expect that the simultaneous protection of these two functions in the form of an oxazolidi-none ring could be achieved. Indeed, treatment of 51 with l,l -car-bonyldiimidazole in refluxing acetonitrile, followed by partial reduction of the methoxycarbonyl function with one equivalent of Dibal-H provides oxazolidinone aldehyde 52. 

A similar Evans asymmetric aldol/reduction sequence could also serve well in a synthesis of fragment 158. Compounds 161 and 162 thus emerge as potential precursors to 158. In theory, building blocks 161 and 162 could be procured in optically active form from commercially available and enantiomerically pure (+)-/ -citro-nellene (163) and D-mannitol (164), respectively (see Scheme 42). 

In some cases the unwanted enantiomer can perturb other biological processes and cause catastrophic side effects. The use of enantiomerically pure compounds thus permits more specific drug action and the reduction in the amount of drug administered. Even in the cases where the other enantiomer is inactive, the work involved in its metabolism before secretion can be avoided. 

A convenient route to highly enantiomerically enriched a-alkoxy tributylslannanes 17 involves the enanlioselective reduction of acyl stannanes 16 with chiral reducing agents10. Thus reaction of acyl stannanes with lithium aluminum hydride, chirally modified by (S)-l,l -bi-naphthalene-2,2 -diol, followed by protection of the hydroxy group, lead to the desired a-alkoxy stannanes 17 in optical purities as high as 98 % ee. 

Besides simple alkyl-substituted sulfoxides, (a-chloroalkyl)sulfoxides have been used as reagents for diastereoselective addition reactions. Thus, a synthesis of enantiomerically pure 2-hydroxy carboxylates is based on the addition of (-)-l-[(l-chlorobutyl)sulfinyl]-4-methyl-benzene (10) to aldehydes433. The sulfoxide, optically pure with respect to the sulfoxide chirality but a mixture of diastereomers with respect to the a-sulfinyl carbon, can be readily deprotonated at — 55 °C. Subsequent addition to aldehydes afforded a mixture of the diastereomers 11A and 11B. Although the diastereoselectivity of the addition reaction is very low, the diastereomers are easily separated by flash chromatography. Thermal elimination of the sulfinyl group in refluxing xylene cleanly afforded the vinyl chlorides 12 A/12B in high chemical yield as a mixture of E- and Z-isomers. After ozonolysis in ethanol, followed by reductive workup, enantiomerically pure ethyl a-hydroxycarboxylates were obtained. 

The synthesis of 10 features the SN2 displacement of the allylic acetate with migration of R2 from the ate complex6. Precursors 9 are prepared by the hydroboration of 3-acetoxy-l-alkynes that are available with very high enantiomeric purity via the asymmetric reduction of the corresponding l-alkyn-3-ones, and a substantial degree of asymmetric induction occurs in the conversion of 9 to 10. Best results, based on the enantioselectivity of reactions of 10 with aldehydes, are obtained when R2 is a bulky group such as isopinocampheyl (79 85 % ee)6. The yields of reactions of 10 with aldehydes are 62-76%. 

Incorporation of a chiral phosphane allowed resolution of the complex 6 which was obtained in enantiomerically pure form. Reaction of 6 with 2,2-dimethylpropanal provided the adduct 7 as the sole observable aldol product13. Oxidation of the metal center of 7 with ferric chloride induced decomplexation via reductive elimination, to provide the enantiomerically pure cy-clobutanone 8. 

The combination of the enantiomerically pure 7V-methylephedrine derived silylketene acetal l-[(l/ ,2S)-2-dimethylamino-1-phenylpropoxy]-l-triniethylsilyloxy-l-propene with the chiral aldehyde (,R)-3-benzyloxy-2-methylpropanal leads, after reduction with lithium aluminum hydride, to the formation of a single 1,3-pentanediol 9 ( matched pair ). 

Metalation ofa-sulfinyl dimethylhydrazones with terf-butylmagnesium bromide, butyllithium or lithium diisopropylamide, and reaction of the generated azaenolates with aldehydes, provides aldol adducts (e.g., 6) as mixtures of diastereomers. Reductive desulfurization leads to fi-hydroxy dimethylhydrazones (e.g., 7) which are cleaved to the desired /(-hydroxy ketones in 25% overall yield10 u. The enantiomeric excesses are about 50%, except for (- )-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-1-phenyl-1-pentanone (8) which was obtained in 88% ee. 

Enantiomerically pure of-dibenzylamino-/V-tosylimines 2 arc accessible from amino acids. Since they are not suitable for storage it is advantageous to prepare them in situ from the corresponding aldehydes 1 and A-sulfmyl-4-toluenesulfonamide immediately before use. Addition of Grignard reagents affords the protected 1,2-diamines 3 in good yields (57-95%) and diastereoselectivities (d.r. 85 15 >95 5)8. Deprotection is achieved without racenuzation by reductive methods, see 4-6. 

Enantiomerically pure alkylboranes arc known to be excellent reagents for asymmetric reduction but they can also be used to generate enantiomerically pure /V-borylimines by partial reduction of nitriles. Addition of organolithium and Grignard reagents to these compounds affords secondary carbinamines in moderate to good yield but low enantioselectivity13,14. The best results reported so far are shown below. 

The synthesis of precursors for the generation of the enantiomerically pure mono- and trans-dioxygenated /V-acyliminium ions of type 335,36 and 643 is achieved by reduction of the corresponding optically active imides. 

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