Naproxen hydrogenation

Figure 4.18. Monsanto route to S-Naproxen hydrogenation step...

Catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation was one of the first enantioselective synthetic methods used industrially (82). 2,2 -Bis(diarylphosphino)-l,l -binaphthyl (BINAP) is a chiral ligand which possesses a Cg plane of symmetry (Fig. 9). Steric interactions prevent interconversion of the (R)- and (3)-BINAP. Coordination of BINAP with a transition metal such as mthenium or rhodium produces a chiral hydrogenation catalyst capable of inducing a high degree of enantiofacial selectivity (83). Naproxen (41) is produced in 97% ee by... 

FIGURE 2.20 Schematic presentation of the hydrogen-bonded cyclic dimers of enantiomeric antipodes of 2-phenylpropionic acid, Ibuprofen, and Naproxen (the latter two compounds are drugs from the group of profens). 

The use of an analogous (S)-BINAP-Ru-diacetate catalyst with axial chirality has led to important industrial applications, such as the synthesis developed by Monsanto where the asymmetric hydrogenation is involved in the last step to yield naproxen, a widely prescribed, non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug (Equation (9)).96... 

Thus, [HRh(C0)(TPPTS)3]/H20/silica (TPPTS = sodium salt of tri(m-sulfophenyl)phopshine) catalyzes the hydroformylation of heavy and functionalized olefins,118-122 the selective hydrogenation of a,/3-unsaturated aldehydes,84 and the asymmetric hydrogenation of 2-(6 -methoxy-2 -naphthyl)acrylic add (a precursor of naproxen).123,124 More recently, this methodology was tested for the palladium-catalyzed Trost Tsuji (allylic substitution) and Heck (olefin arylation) reactions.125-127... 

With a BINAP-Ru [3d,104], Hg-BINAP-Ru [102], or P-Phos-Ru [25] catalyst, the anti-inflammatory drugs (S)-ibuprofen and (S)-naproxen could be efficiently synthesized via enantioselective hydrogenation (Scheme 26.9). In these cases, high hydrogenation pressure and low temperature are required to achieve good enantioselectivity. With an (R)-BIPHEMP-Ru catalyst, (S)-2-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-methylbutanoic acid, a key intermediate for the synthesis of the calcium antago-... 

One of the first applications of the then newly developed Ru-binap catalysts for a,/ -unsaturated acids was an alternative process to produce (S)-naproxen. (S)-Naproxen is a large-scale anti-inflammatory drug and is actually produced via the resolution of a racemate. For some time it was considered to be one of the most attractive goals for asymmetric catalysis. Indeed, several catalytic syntheses have been developed for the synthesis of (S)-naproxen intermediates in recent years (for a summary see [14]). The best results for the hydrogenation route were obtained by Takasago [69] (Fig. 37.15), who recently reported that a Ru-H8-binap catalyst achieved even higher activities (TON 5000, TOF 600 h 1 at 15 °C, 50 bar) [16]. 

The effects of added C02 on mass transfer properties and solubility were assessed in some detail for the catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of 2-(6 -meth-oxy-2 -naphthyl) acrylic acid to (Sj-naproxen using Ru-(S)-BINAP-type catalysts in methanolic solution. The catalytic studies showed that a higher reaction rate was observed under a total C02/H2 pressure of ca. 100 bar (pH2 = 50bar) than under a pressure of 50 bar H2 alone. Upon further increase of the C02 pressure, the catalyst could be precipitated and solvent and product were removed, at least partly by supercritical extraction. Unfortunately, attempts to re-use the catalyst were hampered by its deactivation during the recycling process [11]. 

Naproxen is a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug, and its (S )-form is about 30 times more active than its (R)-form. The Ru-BINAP-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of substrate 36 offers an entry to an enantiomerically pure (.S ) To mi of the drug 37 (Scheme 6-20).lla... 

Firstly, the system will also hydrogenate enamides with high e.e., provided that the amide substituent and the one substituent at the other carbon are cis to one another. Secondly, the Ru(BINAP)(RC02)2 catalyst gives enantioselective hydrogenation of acrylic derivatives, see the examples below for Naproxen and the like. 

Applications. In the last decade a lot of research has been devoted to the development of catalytic routes to a series of asymmetric carboxylic acids that lack the acetamido ligand as additional functionality. In Figure 4.17 four are listed, which are important as anaesthetics for rheumatic diseases. Their sales in beat many bulk chemicals the turnover of Naproxen (retail) in 1990 was 700 million for 1000 tons. S-Naproxen is now being produced by Syntcx via resolution with a chiral auxiliary. The main patents from Syntex expired in the U.S. in 1993, the reason for a lot of activity to study alternative synthetic routes. Routes leading to an asymmetric centre are o asymmetric hydrogenation of an unsaturated acid, o asymmetric carbohydroxylation of a styrene precursor, o asymmetric hydroformylation of a styrene precursor and oxidation. 

With a rhodium complex catalyst containing a chiral ligand dispersed in [BMIM]SbFg, the enantioselective hydrogenation of a-acetamidocinnamic acid to (5)-phenylalanine was achieved with 64% enantiomeric excess 112). [RuCl2( S)-BINAP]2 NEt3 in [BMIM]BF4 for (5)-naproxen synthesis gave 80% ee from 2-(6-methoxy-2-naphthyl) acrylic acid and isopropyl alcohol 214). 

The asymmetric hydrogenation of 2-(6-methoxy-2-naphthyl)acrylic acid using ruthenium-BINAP complexes also yields enantiomerically pure naproxen. 

Examples and Utility. An important application of this hydrogenation is enantioselective synthesis of naproxen. This commercial anti-inflammatory agent is obtained in 97% ee under high hydrogen pressure. 

Enanlioselective hydrogenation of a-aryl-substituted acrylic acids has extensively been studied because of the pharmaceutical importance of the saturated products. Anti-inflammatory (S)-naproxen with 97% ee is obtained by the high-pressure hydrogenation of 2-(6 -methoxy-naphth-2/-yl)acrylic acid by using Ru(OCOCH3)2[(S)-binap] [99]. The hydrogenation rate is... 

Only limited successful examples of asymmetric hydrogenation of acrylic acids derivatives have included the use of chiral Rh complexes (Scheme 1.17). The diamino phosphine (28) utilizes selective ligation of the amino unit to a Rh center and also exerts electrostatic interaction with a substrate. Its Rh complex catalyzes enantioselective hydrogenation of 2-methylcinnamic acid in 92% optical yield [116], Certain cationic Rh complexes can attain highly enantioselective hydrogenation of trisubstituted acrylic acids [ 1171. 2-(6 -Methoxynaphth-2 -yl)acrylic acid is hydrogenated by an (.S ..S )-BIPNOR- Rh complex in methanol at 4 atm to give (.S)-naproxen with 98% ee but only in 30% yield [26]. 

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