Naproxen synthesis procedure

By this route, Monsanto researchers were able to obtain both (S)-naproxen 22 and (S)-ibu-profen 57 by exploiting the Ru/BINAP-catalyzed hydrogenation originally developed by Noyori and his group. In the synthesis of both drugs the required acrylic acid was obtained by the relevant procedure outlined in Fig. 20. 

By these procedures, the anti-inflammatory drugs (S)-ibuprofen and (S)-naproxen (Equation 15.41) can be synthesized by asymmetric hydrogenation. Again, one challenging aspect of this route to naproxen is the synthesis of the substrate, and for this reason, asymmetric hydrogenation has not become the major commercial route to this compound. 

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