Mannich reaction, Strecker amino acid synthesis

Multicomponent reactions, although fashionable these days, have in fact a long history. Indeed, many important reactions such as the Strecker amino acid synthesis (1850)[6], the Hantsch dihydropyridine synthesis (1882) [7], the Biginelli dihydropyrimidine synthesis (1891)[8], the Mannich reaction (1912) [9], and the isocyanide-based Passerini reactions (1921) (Scheme 5.1) [10], among others, are all... 

An a-amino acid 3 can be prepared by treating aldehyde 1 with ammonia and hydrogen cyanide and a subsequent hydrolysis of the intermediate a-amino nitrile 2. This so-called Strecker synthesis - is a special case of the Mannich reaction-, it has found application for the synthesis of a-amino acids on an industrial scale. The reaction also works with ketones to yield a, a -disubstituted a-amino acids. 

A particularly useful variation of this reaction uses cyanide rather than HCN. a-Amino nitriles can be prepared in one step by the treatment of an aldehyde or ketone with NaCN and NH4CI. This is called the Strecker synthesisand it is a special case of the Mannich reaction (16-15). Since the CN is easily hydrolyzed to the acid, this is a convenient method for the preparation of a-amino acids. The reaction has also been carried out with NH3-I-HCN and with NH4CN. Salts of primary and secondary amines can be used instead of NH to obtain N-substituted and N,N-disubstituted a-amino nitriles. Unlike 16-51, the Strecker synthesis is useful for aromatic as well as aliphatic ketones. As in 16-51, the Me3SiCN method has been used 64 is converted to the product with ammonia or an amine. ... 

In 1997, the first truly catalytic enantioselective Mannich reactions of imines with silicon enolates using a novel zirconium catalyst was reported [9, 10]. To solve the above problems, various metal salts were first screened in achiral reactions of imines with silylated nucleophiles, and then, a chiral Lewis acid based on Zr(IV) was designed. On the other hand, as for the problem of the conformation of the imine-Lewis acid complex, utilization of a bidentate chelation was planned imines prepared from 2-aminophenol were used [(Eq. (1)]. This moiety was readily removed after reactions under oxidative conditions. Imines derived from heterocyclic aldehydes worked well in this reaction, and good to high yields and enantiomeric excesses were attained. As for aliphatic aldehydes, similarly high levels of enantiomeric excesses were also obtained by using the imines prepared from the aldehydes and 2-amino-3-methylphenol. The present Mannich reactions were applied to the synthesis of chiral (3-amino alcohols from a-alkoxy enolates and imines [11], and anti-cc-methyl-p-amino acid derivatives from propionate enolates and imines [12] via diastereo- and enantioselective processes [(Eq. (2)]. Moreover, this catalyst system can be utilized in Mannich reactions using hydrazone derivatives [13] [(Eq. (3)] as well as the aza-Diels-Alder reaction [14-16], Strecker reaction [17-19], allylation of imines [20], etc. 

Strecker synthesis [32] is the preparation of a-amino nitriles in one step by treatment of aldehydes or ketones with NaCN and NH4CI. It is a special case of the Mannich reaction. Since the CN is easily hydrolyzed to the acid, this is a convenient method for the preparation of a-amino acids. There are two possible... 

It is interesting that three multicomponent reactions were broadly used over 150 years, known as name reactions according to their inventors Strecker synthesis of amino acids [3], Hantsch synthesis of 1,4-dihydropyrimidines [4] and particularly the imjxjrtant Mannich reaction [5]. 

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