Hydrazone reduction with sodium cyanoborohydride

Another route to the formation of a hydrazide on a surface is to use an aldehyde-containing particle (such as HEMA/acrolein copolymers) and subsequently modify the aldehydes to form hydrazone linkages with bis-hydrazide compounds, which then can be stabilized by reduction with sodium cyanoborohydride (Chapter 2, Section 5). The resulting derivative contains terminal hydrazides for immobilization of carbonyl ligands (see Figure 14.18). 

A method for the conversion of carbonyl compounds into the corresponding hydrocarbons involves reduction of the derived toluene-p-sulfonyl (tosyl) hydra-zones with sodium cyanoborohydride in acidic dimethylformamide (DMF). The reaction is specific for aliphatic carhonyl compounds aromatic compounds are normally unaffected. The tosyl hydrazone need not be isolated but can be prepared and reduced in situ. For example, the ketone 97 was reduced to the alkane 98 (7.89). 

Aldehyde-containing macromolecules will react spontaneously with hydrazide compounds to form hydrazone linkages. The hydrazone bond is a form of Schiff base that is more stable than the Schiff base formed from the interaction of an aldehyde and an amine. The hydrazone, however, may be reduced and further stabilized by the same reductants utilized for reductive amination purposes (Chapter 3, Section 4.8). The addition of sodium cyanoborohydride to a hydrazide-aldehyde reaction drives the equilibrium toward formation of a stable covalent complex. Mallia (1992) found that adipic acid dihydrazide derivatization of periodate-oxidized dextran (containing multiple formyl functionalities) proceeds with much greater yield when sodium cyanoborohydride is present. 

Aldehyde particles are spontaneously reactive with hydrazine or hydrazide derivatives, forming hydrazone linkages upon Schiff base formation. Reactions with amine-containing molecules, such as proteins, can be done through a reductive amination process using sodium cyanoborohydride (Figure 14.21). 

The hydrazone bond can be reduced to stabilize the linkage by the addition of sodium cyanoborohydride to a final concentration of 50mM. React for 30 minutes at room temperature with mixing. All operations with cyanoborohydride should be done in a fume hood. If the glycoprotein being modified is sensitive to disulfide reduction and potential denaturation, then this step should be avoided. 

In a fume hood, add 10 pi of 5M sodium cyanoborohydride (Sigma) per ml of reaction solution. Caution Cyanoborohydride is extremely toxic. All operations should be done with care in a fume hood. Also, avoid any contact with the reagent, as the 5M solution is prepared in IN NaOH. The addition of a reductant is necessary for stabilization of the Schiff bases formed between an amine-containing protein and the aldehydes on the antibody. For coupling to a hydrazide-activated protein, however, most protocols do not include a reduction step. Even so, hydrazone linkages may be further stabilized by cyanoborohydride reduction. The addition of a reductant during hydrazide/aldehyde reactions also increases the efficiency and yield of the reaction. 

Hydrazones treated with alkalis decompose to nitrogen and hydrocarbons [845, 923] Woljf-Kizhner reduction) (p. 34), and p-toluenesulfonylhydra-zones are reduced to hydrocarbons by lithium aluminum hydride [812], sodium borohydride [785] or sodium cyanoborohydride [813]. Titanium trichloride hy-drogenolyzes the nitrogen-nitrogen bond in phenylhydrazones and forms amines and ketimines which are hydrolyzed to the parent ketones. Thus 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone of cycloheptanone afforded cycloheptanone in 90% yield [202]. 

The synthesis of a triptan with a chiral side chain begins by reduction of the carboxylic acid in chiral 4-nitrophenylalanine (15-1). The two-step procedure involves conversion of the acid to its ester by the acid chloride by successive reaction with thionyl chloride and then methanol. Treatment of the ester with sodium borohy-dride then afford the alanilol (15-2). Reaction of this last intermediate with phosgene closes the ring to afford the oxazolidone (15-3) the nitro group is then reduced to the aniline (15-4). The newly obtained amine is then converted to the hydrazine (15-5). Reaction of this product with the acetal from 3-chloropropionaldehyde followed by treatment of the hydrazone with acid affords the indole (15-6). The terminal halogen on the side chain is then replaced by an amine by successive displacement by means of sodium azide followed by catalytic reduction of the azide. The newly formed amine is then methylated by reductive alkylation with formaldehyde in the presence of sodium cyanoborohydride to afford zolmitriptan (15-7) [15]. 

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