Racemization carboxylic acid derivatives

In 1983, Yamada et al. developed an efficient method for the racemization of amino acids using a catalytic amount of an aliphatic or an aromatic aldehyde [50]. This method has been used in the D KR of amino acids. Figure 4.25 shows the mechanism of the racemization of a carboxylic acid derivative catalyzed by pyridoxal. Racemization takes place through the formation of Schiff-base intermediates. 

The coupling of the selone to racemic carboxylic acids with dicyclohexylcarbodiimide in dichloromethane with 4-dimethylaminopyridine at 0°C for 0.5-1 hour affords the acylated derivatives. Similar results are obtained using the acid chloride and triethyl amine. Figure 13 (upper part) shows the selenium spectrum for the diastereomeric. Y-acyl derivatives of the oxazo-lidine-2-selone with (A,A)-5-methylheptanoic acid. Clearly the shift difference of about (5 = 0.1 is sufficient for integration of the two singlets. The lower part of the figure shows the remarkably different 77Se resonances observed for four species derived from partially deuterated phenylacetic acid. The diastereomeric mixture of the monodeuteriated substance is easily detected (AS = 0.07, 5.0 Hz). 

An a-chiral carboxylic acid derivative is again invoked. An additive is introduced in the first step to ensure that there will be no racemization during formation of the amide. 

The asymmetric synthesis of enantiomerically pure primary amines has received considerable attention in recent years due to applications of the chiral amines, either as chiral auxiliaries for the synthesis of optically active molecules [33] or as a deri-vatizing agent for the resolution of racemic carboxylic acids [34], Hydroboration -amination is also a convenient synthetic route to epimerically clean amine derivatives in a simple one-stage reaction. Interestingly, rrans-2-phenylcyclopentylamine (cypenamine), which is an antidepressant [35], can be obtained as a pure isomer in good yields by the hydroboration of 1-methylcyclopentene [7,10,36] (Scheme 13). 

Chromatographic Resolutions. 1-(1-Naphthyl)ethylamine serves as a chiral derivatization agent useful in preparing diastereomeric amides from racemic acids for chromatographic resolution. For example, various terpenoid acids, after conversion to the diastereomeric amides using (R)-(+)-NEA, were analyzed by HPLC to define the enantiomeric composition (eq 4). Application of the procedure has been used to analyze the enantiomeric purity of several carboxylic acid derivatives. ... 

The determination of the enantiometric purity of optically active carboxylic acids and amino acids is important not only for an evaluation of their asymmetric syntheses, but optical resolution of racemic modifications of chiral carboxylic acid derivatives and chiral amino acids is also industrially important. A separation on both an analytical and a preparative scale of the racemically modfied and commercially available carboxylic acids 21a-24a and amino acids 25a-27a was attempted by utilizing (4/ ,5S)-MPOT (5). The condensations between 5 and the carboxylic and amino acids 21a-27a were carried out as usual to afford the corresponding 3-acyl-(4/ ,5S)-MPOT derivatives 21b-27b. Their analytical separation was readily achieved by HPLC. H-NMR techniques can also be useful for the analysis of the diastereoisomeric ratio of amides 21b-27b. 

The optical resolution of racemates 22a, 25a, and 27a was carried out by chromatographic separation of their (4/ ,5S)-MPOT-amide derivatives 22b, 25b, and 27b. The absolute stereochemistry of each pure diastereoisomer was confirmed by comparing the physical data of its derivative with those of the authentic compound in each case. Thus, (4i ,5S)-MPOT (5) proved to be a satisfactory chiral reagent useful for analytical separation and optical resolution of racemic carboxylic acids and amino acids (85JCS(P1)2361). 

Carboxylic acid derivatives that have a-substituents can exist as chiral compounds. The resolution of the enantiomers of such compounds is a useful process, leading to the preparation of a-amino acids, a-hydroxy adds and other a-substituted carboxylic acids and their derivatives in enantiomerically enriched form. In addition, the racemization of such compounds can be achieved by a deprotonation/reprotonation sequence, as shown in Fig. 9-13. 

The ease with which racemization of the carboxylic acid derivative occurs depends on the nature of the substrate. Carboxylic adds themselves are slow to racemize, since the carboxylic acid is initially deprotonated to form a carboxylate anion. 

Figure 9-13. Racemization of o-substituted carboxylic acid derivatives by enolization.

Fulling and Sih reported one of the earliest examples to exploit racemization of carboxylic acid derivatives in order to achieve a dynamic kinetic resolution1311. The anti-inflammatory drug Ketorolac was prepared by hydrolysis of the corresponding ester. Whilst most lipases afforded the undesired enantiomer preferentially, a protease from Streptomyces griseus afforded the required (S)-enantiomer of product with good selectivity. The substrate was particularly prone to racemization since the intermediate enolate is well stabilized by resonance effects, although a pH 9 7 buffer was required to achieve a useful dynamic resolution reaction. Thus the acid was formed with complete conversion and with 76 % enantiomeric excess. 

In addition to in situ racemization of a-substituted carboxylic acid derivatives by deprotonation/reprotonation, a procedure involving halide exchange has been developed135, 361. Whilst the a-halo esters undergo racemization at a reasonable rate, the corresponding carboxylates are almost inert to racemization under the reaction conditions. Using immobilized phosphonium halide and CLEC (cross-linked enzyme crystals), a dynamic resolution procedure has been developed for the hydrolysis of a-bromo and a-chloro esters (Fig. 9-17). The enantiomeric excess in each case was similar to that achieved for simple kinetic resolution reactions using the same enzyme/substrate combinations. 

The hydrolysis of carboxylic acid derivatives using a DKR-based approach is not hmited to cyclic carhonyl compounds as exemplified in Scheme 5.6. For example, when an acyclic racemic thioester (possessing an electron-withdrawing arylsulfanyl group at the a-position) is subjected to enzymatic resolution, hydrolysis occurs smoothly to give the chiral carboxylic acid in high enantiomeric excess... 

Interconversion of Carboxylic Acid Derivatives. Diethyl phosphorochloridate is useful for activation of carboxylic acids toward nucleophilic attack. Subsequent treatment of the phosphate ester with thallium sulfides produced thiol esters." Variations"" on this theme included prior formation of a heterocyclic phospho-nate followed by treatment with alcohols, amines, or thiols, thus providing a racemization-free method to prepare esters, amides, and thiol esters, respectively (eq 9),""" ... 

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