Redox amine racemization

The vast majority of early amine racemizations involve an oxidation-reduction approach, with the oxidation of the amine center removing the chirality so that subsequent reduction yields the racemate. The most efficient redox approach is achieved when the oxidized and reduced forms of the substrate are in equilibrium... 

The remarkable physical properties exhibited by the divalent macrobicyclic cage complex [Co(sep)]2+ (29) are unparalleled in Co chemistry.219 The complex, characterized structurally, is inert to ligand substitution in its optically pure form and resists racemization in stark contrast to its [Co(en)3]2+ parent. The encapsulating nature of the sep ligand ensures outer sphere electron transfer in all redox reactions. For example, unlike most divalent Co amines, the aerial oxidation of (29) does not involve a peroxo-bound intermediate. 

Careful inspection of the reported photocatalytic reactions may demonstrate that reaction products can not be classified, in many cases, into the two above categories, oxidation and reduction of starting materials. For example, photoirradiation onto an aqueous suspension of platinum-loaded Ti02 converts primary alkylamines into secondary amines and ammonia, both of which are not redox products.34) ln.a similar manner, cyclic secondary amines, e.g., piperidine, are produced from a,co-diamines.34) Along this line, trials of synthesis of cyclic imino acids such as proline or pipecolinic acid (PCA) from a-amino acids, ornithine or lysine (Lys), have beer. successfuL35) Since optically pure L-isomer of a-amino acids are available in low cost, their conversion into optically active products is one of the most important and practical chemical routes for the synthesis of chiral compounds. It should be noted that l- and racemic PCA s are obtained from L-Lys by Ti02 and CdS photocatalyst, respectively. This will be discussed later in relation to the reaction mechanism. 

The nitrogen atom in a-ferrocenylalkylamines generally shows the same reaction pattern as that in other amines alkylation and acylation do not provide synthetic problems. Due to the high stability of the a-ferrocenylalkyl carbocations, ammonium salts readily lose amine and are, therefore, important synthetic intermediates. Acylation of primary amines with esters of formic acid gives the formamides, which can be dehydrated to isocyanides by the standard POClj/diisopropylamine technique (Fig. 4-16) [92]. Chiral isocyanides are obtained from chiral amines without any racemization during the reaction sequence. The isocyanides undergo normal a-addition at the isocyanide carbon, but could not be deprotonated at the a-carbon by even strong bases. This deviation from the normal reactivity of isocyanides prompted us to study the electrochemistry of these compounds, but no abnormal redox behaviour, compared with that of other ferrocene derivatives, was detected [93]. The isocyanides form chromium pentacarbonyl complexes on treatment with Cr(CO)s(THF) (Fig. 4-16) and electrochemistry demonstrated that there is no electronic interaction between the two metal centres. 

The term deracemization covers reactions in which two enantiomers are inter-converted by a stereoinversion process such that a racemate can be transformed to a non-racemic mixture without any net change in the composition of the molecule. Deracemization reactions usually involve a redox process, for example, the interconversion of chiral secondary alcohols via the ketone or alternatively the interconversion of amino acids/amines via the corresponding imine (Scheme 4.37). 

Before discussing the stereochemical issues of the individual steps, the overall synthetic route is presented in Scheme 7.1, in which the absolute configuratirais at the stereogenic centres are not shown. It is important to note that 4 and 5 are racemic while target compound 1 comprises two diastereomeric racemates which can equilibrate in an epimerization process, based on amine-imine redox equUibiium at C(l),... 

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