Prochiral phosphorus centers

Description of the synthesis of phosphodiesters (prochiral phosphorus center) is beyond the scope of this chapter. Only the chemical synthesis of chiral phos-phomonoesters (4-6) and chiral inorganic phosphates (7) are discussed. The chiral phosphates or chiral phosphorothioates obtained from enzyme reactions are not described in this section. 

By a sulfur substitution, a prochiral phosphorus center (e.g., a phosphodies ter) becomes a chiral center with two possible configurations (Scheme 5). 

Hydrolysis of phosphomonoesters generates inorganic phosphate (Pj), which contains a pro-pro-prochiral phosphorus center. To make a P chiral, it is necessary to make use of all three stable oxygen isotopes ( 0, 0, 0) and sulfur, as shown in Scheme 10. 

A sensitive probe applied to understand the nature of the reaction mechanism of group transfer is the stereochemistry of the overall reaction. The reaction at a phosphoryl center normally is a degenerate question, since a monosubstituted phosphate ester or anhydride is proprochiral at the phosphate center. Phosphate centers at a diester or disubstituted anhydride are prochiral. Two related methods to analyze the stereochemistry at a phosphate center have been developed by the generation of chirality at the phosphorus center. The first approach was developed by Usher et al. (24) and gave rise to the formation of isotopi-cally chiral [ 0, 0]thiophosphate esters and anhydrides (I). Isotopically chiral [ 0, 0, 0]phosphates (II) have also been synthesized and the absolute configurations determined. Two primary problems must first be addressed with respect to both of the methods that have been developed the synthesis of the isotopically pure chiral thiophosphates and phosphates and the analysis of the isotopic chirality of the products. An example of the chiral starting substrates, as developed for ATP, is schematically demonstrated. Ad = adenosine. 

Whereas the 0 effect on P NMR chemical shifts is sufficient for determining the configurations of chirally labeled samples of prochiral phosphorus atoms in a diastereomeric environment, additional use of the quadrupolar effect of O on P NMR resonances is required for configurational analyses of oxygen chiral phosphate monoesters. The basic strategy for the configurational analyses of phosphate monoesters is the same, i.e., the enantiomeric center in the monoester must be converted to a diastereomeric center in a cyclic phosphodiester so that... 

Although the latter product is a solvated mononuclear [Rh(MeOH)2(diphos)]+ cation, in the solid state it is isolated as a binuclear complex of formula [Rh2 (diphos)2](BF4)2, in which each rhodium center is bonded to two phosphorus atoms of a chelating bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane ligand, and to a phenyl ring of the bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane ligand of the other rhodium atom. This dimer reverts to a mononuclear species on redissolving. The mechanism of hydrogenation of the prochiral alkene methyl(Z)-a-acetamidocinnamate, studied in detail by Halpern [31], is depicted in Scheme 1.7. 

A stereochemical property of compounds arising from the ability of an enzyme s active site to distinguish between two chemically identical substituents covalently bound to a tetrahedral center (usually carbon and, in some cases, phosphorus). Prochirality is also termed prostereoisomerism. The classical example is citrate with its two carboxymethyl group substituents. Likewise, the Cl carbon atom of ethanol has two prochiral hydrogens. See Chirality Chirality Probes... 

This process is stereospecific and has the advantage of giving a quantitative conversion. Although AMP, the usual acceptor substrate for adenylate kinase, is achiral at phosphorus and so not subject to stereospecific phosphorylation, the phosphorus in AMPS is a prochiral center. Adenylate kinase catalyzes the phosphorylation of the pro-R oxygen exclusively to produce the (Sp) configuration. 

These compounds are important in asynunetric catalysis, in which a prochiral substrate is converted into a chiral product. There are basically three types of chiral phosphines. Firstly, there are phosphines of the type PRR R", where the chiral center is the phosphorus atom. Secondly, the substituent(s) or the molecule as a whole may be chiral. Finally, a coordinated phosphine complex may be chiral at the metal center. 

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