Mitsunobu alcohol activation method

An example of an alcohol activation method is the Mitsunobu reaction. This reaction is performed by slow addition of the seco-acid alcohol to a mixture of diethyl azodicarboxylate (DEAD) and PPhs in toluene or THF. In the mechanism, the key intermediate is an alkoxyphosphonium cation, which is formed by DEAD and PPhs in situ. The macrolactone is formed by an intramolecular Sn2 reaction of this intermediate via an attack of the carboxylate moiety and therefore the reaction proceeds with inversion of the configuration at C-co. 

Asymmetric introduction of azide to the a-position of a carbonyl has been achieved by several methods. These include amine to azide conversion by diazo transfer,2 chiral enolate azidation,3 and displacement of optically active trifluoromethanesulfonates,4 p-nitrobenzenesulfonates,5 or halides.6 Alkyl 2-azidopropionates have been prepared in optically active form by diazo transfer,2 p-nitrobenzenesulfonate displacement,5 and the Mitsunobu displacement using zinc azide.7 The method presented here is the simplest of the displacement methods since alcohol activation and displacement steps occur in the same operation. In cases where the a-hydroxy esters are available, this would be the simplest method to introduce azide. 

The role of the DEAD is to activate the triphenylphosphine toward nucleophilic attack by the alcohol. In the course of the reaction the N=N double bond is reduced. As is discussed later, this method is applicable for activation of alcohols to substitution by other nucleophiles in addition to halide ions. The activation of alcohols to nucleophilic attack by the triphenylphosphine-DEAD combination is called the Mitsunobu reaction.76... 

Standard solid-phase peptide synthesis requires the first (C-terminal) amino acid to be esterified with a polymeric alcohol. Partial racemization can occur during the esterification of N-protected amino acids with Wang resin or hydroxymethyl polystyrene [200,201]. /V-Fmoc amino acids are particularly problematic because the bases required to catalyze the acylation of alcohols can also lead to deprotection. A comparative study of various esterification methods for the attachment of Fmoc amino acids to Wang resin [202] showed that the highest loadings with minimal racemization can be achieved under Mitsunobu conditions or by activation with 2,6-dichloroben-zoyl chloride (Experimental Procedure 13.5). iV-Fmoc amino acid fluorides in the presence of DMAP also proved suitable for the racemization-free esterification of Wang resin (Entry 1, Table 13.13). The most extensive racemization was observed when DMF or THF was used as solvent, whereas little or no racemization occurred in toluene or DCM [203]. 

This type is a one-pot reaction widi all components present fix>m the beginning. The alcohol is first converted into an 5N-activated (HGA) species (43), which undergoes an OX displacement with the carboxylic acid to form the ester (equation 18). Two methods are known to fit into this general scheme the Mitsunobu reaction and die Vorbriiggen-Eschenmoser reaction. ... 

The encouraging result of the trans-epoxy acylates with the chiral spiro compounds was appUed to the optically active system (Scheme 15). Asymmetric reduction of the enone 31 by Corey s method [72] afforded the allyl alcohol (-)-34 (90% ee). Epoxidation of (-)-34 by the stereoselective Sharpless epoxidation [73] afforded the cts-epoxy alcohol, cfs-(-)-35, as the sole product. The Mitsunobu reaction [74] of czs-(-)-35 with benzoic acid gave the trans-epoxy benzoate, trans- -)-36, (90% ee) in 89% yield. Treatment of trans-(-)-36 with BF3-Et20 afforded the optically active spiro compound (+)-37 in 89% yield with retention of the optical purity (90% ee). This means that the rearrangement occurs stereospecifically. The optically pure epoxy camphanate (-)-38 could be obtained after one recrystallization of the crude (-)-38 (90% de), which was obtained by the Mitsimobu reaction of cfs-(-)-35 with D-camphanic acid. The optically pure spiro compoimd (+)-39 (100% de) was obtained from the optically pure (-)-38 in 89% yield. 

In yet another useful modification of this chemistry, Squibb chemists [34] devised a method for cyclization of 3-hydroxyvaline as required for the synthesis of the orally active monosulfactam tigemonam. Cyclization of the tertiary alcohol under typically employed conditions was problematic. Mitsunobu cyclization of 44 gave lactam 45 in poor yield along with an unprecedented rearrangement product 46 [35]. Mesylation was nonselective, but 0-sulfonation with picoline S03 complex followed by base treatment afforded 45 in 58% yield after recrystallization via the intermediacy of the derived sulfate. 

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