Enantioselective synthesis warfarin anticoagulants

CATALYTIC ENANTIOSELECTIVE MICHAEL ADDITION OF 1,3-DICARBONYL COMPOUNDS TO ACYCLIC ENONE FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF WARFARIN ANTICOAGULANTS IN ONE STEP... 

The enantioselective reduction of unsaturated alcohol derivatives has been applied to the synthesis of several biologically active compounds (Scheme 24.12). Warfarin (123, R=H) is an important anticoagulant that is normally prescribed as the racemate, despite the enantiomers having dissimilar pharmacological profiles. One of the earliest reported uses of DuPhos was in the development of a chiral switch for this bioactive molecule, facilitating the preparation of (R)- and (S)-warfarin [184]. Although attempted reduction of the parent hydroxycoumarin 122 (R=H) led to formation of an unreactive cyclic hemiketal, hydrogenation of the sodium salt proceeded smoothly with Rh-Et-DuPhos in 86-89% ee. 

A highly enantioselective organocatalytic Michael addition of 4-hydroxycouma-rines and related compounds to a,p-unsaturated ketones has been also achieved using imidazolidine catalyst 137 [213]. The reaction, which gives high yields and enantioselectivities for a wide range of cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and enones, has been successfully employed for the asymmetric synthesis of the anticoagulant warfarin (Scheme 2.78) and derivatives [213], With respect to the reaction mechanism, very recent studies have demonstrated that the truly active catalyst in the process was the chiral diamine 138, which is formed in catalytic amounts under the reaction conditions by reaction with the hydroxycoumarine (Schane 2.79)... 

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