Isoureas

For more specific analysis, chromatographic methods have been developed. Using reverse-phase columns and uv detection, hplc methods have been appHed to the analysis of nicotinic acid and nicotinamide in biological fluids such as blood and urine and in foods such as coffee and meat. Derivatization techniques have also been employed to improve sensitivity (55). For example, the reaction of nicotinic amide with DCCI (AT-dicyclohexyl-0-methoxycoumarin-4-yl)methyl isourea to yield the fluorescent coumarin ester has been reported (56). After separation on a reversed-phase column, detection limits of 10 pmol for nicotinic acid have been reported (57). 

Scheme 5 Preparation of polymer-supported 0-methyl isourea under microwave irradiation...

The reaction of Ccf -ATPase with dicyclohexylcarbodiimide Carbodiimides readily react in aqueous solutions with protein amino, carboxyl and sulfhydryl groups slower reactions with tyrosine and serine have also been reported [369,370]. The primary reaction product of carboxyl groups with dicyclohexylcarbodiimide is dicyclohexyl-O-acyl isourea [370]. Dicyclohexyl-O-acyl isourea is susceptible to nucleophilic attack either by water or by endogenous or exogenous nucleophiles, yielding a complex series of reaction products [369-371]. 

Carbodiimides are used to mediate the formation of amide or phosphoramidate linkages between a carboxylate and an amine or a phosphate and an amine, respectively (Hoare and Koshland, 1966 Chu et al., 1986 Ghosh et al., 1990). Regardless of the type of carbodiimide, the reaction proceeds by the formation of an intermediate o-acylisourea that is highly reactive and short-lived in aqueous environments. The attack of an amine nucleophile on the carbonyl group of this ester results in the loss an isourea derivative and formation of an amide bond (see Reactions 11 and 12). The major competing reaction in water is hydrolysis. 

Figure 3.1 EDC reacts with carboxylic acids to create an active-ester intermediate. In the presence of an amine nucleophile, an amide bond is formed with release of an isourea by-product.

DCC is a waxy solid that is often difficult to remove from a bottle. Its vapors are extremely hazardous to inhalation and to the eyes. It should always be handled in a fume hood. The isourea by-product of a DCC-initiated reaction, dicyclohexyl urea (DCU) (Figure 3.5), is also water-insoluble and must be removed by organic solvent washing. For synthesis of peptides or affinity supports on insoluble matrices this is not a problem, because washing of the support material can be done without disturbing the conjugate coupled to the support. For solution phase chemistry, however, reaction products must be removed by solvent washings, precipitations, or recrystallizations. 

Cyanogen bromide can be used to activate hydroxyl groups on particles to create reactive cyanate esters, which then can be coupled to amine-containing ligands to form an isourea bond (Figure 14.17). CNBr activation also can produce cyclic imidocarbonate groups, which are less reactive than the cyanate ester, but can form imidocarbonate bonds. The exact reactive species formed by the reaction is dependent on the structure of the hydroxylic support being activated (Kohn and Wilchek, 1982). 

The reactions involved in an EDC-mediated conjugation are discussed in Chapter 3, Section 1.1 (Note EDC is l-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride MW 191.7 and is sometimes referred to as EDAC). The carbodiimide first reacts with available carboxylic groups on either the carrier or hapten to form a highly reactive o-acylisourea intermediate. The activated carboxylic group then can react with a primary amine to form an amide bond, with release of the EDC mediator as a soluble isourea derivative. The reaction is quite efficient with no more than 2 hours required for it to go to completion and form a conjugated immunogen. 

In a related study by the same authors, the effect of microwave irradiation on car-bodiimide-mediated esterifications on a solid support was investigated, employing benzoic acid [29]. The carboxylic acid was activated using N,N -diisopropylcarbodi-imide (DIC) through the O-acyl isourea or the symmetrical anhydride protocol (Scheme 7.9). The isourea protocol was carried out in a dichloromethane/N,N-di-methylformamide mixture in sealed vessels, whereas the anhydride reactions were carried out in l-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) at atmospheric pressure. 

The isourea protocol showed some deficiencies, such as the fact that complete conversion could not be obtained due to unexpected side reactions at higher temperatures. The anhydride protocol proved superior to this method as it could be carried out quantitatively at 200 °C within 10 min under open-vessel conditions without the... 

Ester formation by dimethylsulfate or diazomethane is not satisfactory because the microgels become insoluble when the reaction proceeds to higher conversions. With diazomethane part of the unsaturated groups is involved in a side reaction of a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition [132]. A more efficient method for ester formation of microgels is the reaction with 0-alkyl-N,N -bisisopropyl isoureas of the alcohols. The alkyl ureas are easily separated from solutions in methanol [294-296]. The esterified microgels were isolated by precipitation and freeze-drying. Depending on the alcohol used for ester formation, the yields of... 

Inversion of configuration.1 The configuration of a secondary alcohol (2) can be inverted by reaction with dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (1) to form an isourea ether (3), which is allowed to react, without isolation, with formic acid with formation of the ester 4 with inverted configuration. 

In an extension beyond hetaryl onium salt promoted hemiacetal activation, Ishido and coworkers have reported the carbodiimide activation of hemiacetals [141]. In the method (Scheme 3.13), the hemiacetal donor 1 is treated with a carbodiimide electrophile 83 and copper(I) chloride to provide glycosyl isourea intermediate 85. Highly susceptible to hydrolysis, the isourea 85 was not isolated but could be detected by 13C NMR and IR spectroscopy [142,143], Accordingly, the reaction between intermediate 85 and the glycosyl acceptor (NuH) provides glycoside product 3, along with urea by-product 84. 

A typical procedure calls for reaction of the hemiacetal donor with dicydohexyl carbodiimide and copper(I) chloride (0.1 equiv) at 80 °C, followed by an addition of the acceptor and continued heating. As an early demonstration of this protocol, oc-riboside 86 was prepared in moderate yield but with exclusive stereoselectivity [141]. Further measures were required for the glycosylation of monosaccharide acceptors, such as addition of p-toluenesulfonic add (0.1 equiv) to promote the formation of disaccharide 87 [144]. The method was more suitably applied to the synthesis of O-acyl glycopeptides, as evidenced by the formation of 88 in 60% yield [143,144]. Various peptides with non-nudeophilic side chains were found to be amenable to this stereoselective reaction. The [3-selectivity was suggested to arise from a preponderance of the a-isourea intermediate 85 in the activation step. 

Table VIII lists some commonly used activating groups. That most widely in use is dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC), often in conjunction with additives such as A -hydroxysuccinimide (HONSu) or HOBt. These convert the O-acyl isourea intermediate 12 into the N-acyl derivative 13 (Scheme 14), which is less prone to racemization under the experimental conditions. But it must be emphasized that all such chemical methods involve some racemization of asymmetric centers, and the trick is to reduce this to an absolute minimum.

That being said, it must be recognized that the evidence that the (V-acy I isourea is the precursor of the 2-alkoxy-5(4//)-oxazolone is only circumstantial because experiments starting from the former have yet to be achieved. The oxazolone could theoretically come from the symmetrical anhydride. The latter generates 2-alkoxy-5(4//)-oxazolone in the presence of tertiary amines (see Section 4.16) even dicy-clohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) was basic enough to generate 2-t< rt-butoxy-5(4 )-oxazolone from Boc-valine anhydride. However the weight of evidence points to O-acylisourea as the precursor of the 2-alkoxy-5(4//)-oxazolone. In the absence of. V-nucleophile, such as in the preparation of esters, the major precursor of product is the symmetrical anhydride.7,8... 

FIGURE 7.10 Formation of the succinimido ester of IV-succinimidoxycarbonyl-P-alanine by reaction of three molecules of IV-hydroxysuccinimide (HONSu) with one molecule of dicy-clohexylcarbodiimide.25 The first molecule (N1) reacts to form the O-succinimido-isourea. The second molecule (N2) ruptures the ring by attack at the carbonyl, generating a nitrene that rearranges to the esterified carboxyalkyl isocyanate. The third molecule (N3) attacks the carbonyl of the latter. R3 = R4 = cyclohexyl SuN- = succinimido. 

Kinetic studies of various systems have been carried out as follows the reaction of 2,2 -dichlorodiethyl sulfide and of 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide with diethylenetriamine and triethylamine in 2-methoxyethanol ° the catalysed reactions of substituted phenols with epichlorohydrin the reactions of para-substituted benzyl bromides with isoquinoline under high pressure the reactions of O-alkylisoureas with OH-acidic compounds [the actual system was N, N -dicyclohexyl-0-(l-methylheptyl)isourea with acetic acid] and tlie ring opening of isatin in aqueous binary mixtures of methanol and acetonitrile cosol vents. 

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