Phthalylamino acid

The carbodiimide method has been employed in several syntheses of depsipeptides. However, direct application of DCC for the formation of the ester bond between the amino acid and hydroxy acid components under the usual conditions of amide coupling affords the desired depsipeptides in acceptable yields only in the case of unhindered co-hydroxy units [54] or an active hydroxy group, such as in TV-benzoyl-u-hydroxyglycine benzyl ester. For example, Ravdel et al.[55 have performed the esterification of various benzyloxycarbonyl- and phthalylamino acids with /V-benzoyl-a-hydroxyglycine benzyl ester with DCC in 50-65% yield. On the other hand, Shemyakin et all21 failed to obtain the expected depsipeptide products on condensation of bulky benzyloxycarbonyl- or phthalylvaline with a-hydroxy-isovaleric acid benzyl ester. The main product was acylurea in the first case and phthalylvaline anhydride in the second. Thus, the classical carbodiimide procedure could not be applied in practical depsipeptide preparation. 

In 2000, Calmes et al. reported the DKR of A -phthalylamino acids using N,N -dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC), 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) and a chiral alcohol such as (S)-a-methylpantolactone. This method provided an easy access to optically active a-amino acids, as shown in Scheme 1.24. 

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