Imines ethyl trifluoropyruvate

Trifluoroalanine has also been prepared by reducing trifluoropyruvate imines (ethyl trifluoropyruvate is available commercially it is prepared either from per-fluoropropene oxide or by trifluoromethylation of ethyl or f-butyl oxalate). These imines are obtained by dehydration of the corresponding aminals or by Staudinger reaction. They can also be obtained by palladium-catalyzed carbonylation of trifluoroacetamidoyl iodide, an easily accessible compound (cf. Chapter 3) (Figure 5.4). Reduction of the imines affords protected trifluoroalanines. When the imine is derived from a-phenyl ethyl amine, an intramolecular hydride transfer affords the regioisomer imine, which can further be hydrolyzed into trifluoroalanine. ... 

Uneyama has described some interesting reactions of the N-aryl imines of ethyl trifluoropyruvate. Tandem alkylation/defluorination occurred (Eq. 97) upon exposure to diethylzinc, via attack at nitrogen and SN2 displacement of fluoride anion [279]. Interestingly, an alkylzinc halide reagent attacked regioselec-tively at carbon, perhaps the more expected outcome. 

Oxazolidine 144 obtained from amino alcohol 143 and ethyl trifluoropyruvate is also a synthetic intermediate for 2-amino-2-trifluoromethylpentanoic acid 145. Lewis acid-catalyzed allylation of 144 with allyl silane occurs in excellent yield with a moderate stereoselectivity. Meanwhile, O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-protected imine 146 gives better diastereoselectivity although yield is poor (see Scheme 9.31) [57]. 

N-Boc-protected ethyl trifluoropyruvate imine was effectively used in a F-C reaction with indole derivatives for synthesizing, in high selectivities, quaternary a-amino acids via catalysis with chiral phosphoric acid 26e [64]. A binaphthyl-based chiral sulfonimide [42c] and a chiral squaramide-based hydrogen bond donor [42a] were used as effective catalysts for promoting F-C reaction of indoles with imines. Recently, the F-C alkylation of arenes with glyoxylate imine was described via a chiral phosphoric add (Scheme 35.11) [34]. 

Asymmetric hydrogenation of imines derived from trifluoropyruvate, in the presence of a chiral complex of palladium (ligand = (R)-BINAP), affords ethyl (/f)-trifluoroalaninate with ca. 90% The ee values strongly depend on the solvent,... 

Excellent enantioselectivity has also been obtained using 3,3 -6 s-(l-naphthyl) BINOL-phosphoric acids [311]. A -Tosyl imines of aryl aldehydes were also examined using a binaphthyl Pd(II) carbene complex as the catalyst. Enantioselectivity in the 50-75% range was obtained [312]. Imines formed from ot-phenylethylamine and ethyl 3,3,3-trifluoropyruvate give adducts with 85-97% de in the presence of TEA [313]. The chiral auxiliary can be removed by hydrogenolysis. 

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