Ethyl 2-oxo-4-phenyl-butanoate

Some workers avoid delay. Pai)adium-on-carbon was used effectively for the reductive amination of ethyl 2-oxo-4-phenyl butanoate with L-alanyl-L-proline in a synthesis of the antihyperlensive, enalapril maleate. SchifTs base formation and reduction were carried out in a single step as Schiff bases of a-amino acids and esters are known to be susceptible to racemization. To a solution of 4,54 g ethyl 2-oxO 4-phenylbutanoate and 1.86 g L-alanyl-L-proline was added 16 g 4A molecular sieve and 1.0 g 10% Pd-on-C The mixture was hydrogenated for 15 hr at room temperature and 40 psig H2. Excess a-keto ester was required as reduction to the a-hydroxy ester was a serious side reaction. The yield was 77% with a diastereomeric ratio of 62 38 (SSS RSS)((55). 

Another of the arylalanines, L-tryptophan, was used at the same laboratories [81] for the synthesis of novel benzazepines (56) as dual inhibitors of ACE and thromboxane synthase (Scheme 5.25). Ozonolysis of 7V-acetyl l-tryptophan to effect scission of the indole ring followed by 7V-protection gave the 4-keto acid (57) as a cyclization precursor. Downstream transformations included diastereoselective reduction of the ketone functionality and reductive alkylation of the amine substituent with ethyl 2-oxo-4-phenyl-butanoate. 

A similar unsuccessful attempt to perform a Claisen rearrangement on benzyl vinyl ether 7 resulted in a highly successful 1,3-benzyl shift to afford ethyl 3.3-dilluoro-2-oxo-4-phenyl-butanoate (8) in 82% yield.10... 

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