Synthesis resolution functions

Finally, the use of stoichiometric amounts of transition metal complexes can play an important role in the synthesis of functionalized piperidines. <01H14.39> Liebeskind and coworkers have developed a chiral transition metal complex and have used it in the synthesis of (-)-indolizidine 209B <01JA12477>. A lipase mediated allylic alcohol resolution provides access to both antipodes of enantiomerically pure allyl acetates (115) which can be used to form an ri -allyl molybdenum complex (116), Hydride abstraction followed by methoxide quench yields a reactive species 117 which may be further functionalized through reactions with Grignard reagents. The eventual products 119 arc 2,3,6-trisubstituted piperidines in enantiomerically pure form. 

Very recently, Rovis et al. [20] reported the application of combined enamine and carbene catalysis in the diastereo- and enantioselective synthesis of functionalized cyclopentanones (Scheme 43.10). The authors proposed that the secondary amine catalyst was capable of epimerizmg the a-position of the intermediate aldehyde to form an equilibrium between two diastereomers. Then the chiral triazohum catalyst preferred cyclization with only one of these diastereomers to the final product. The second step of this reaction could be considered analogous to a dynamic kinetic resolution because the j0rgensen-Hayashi amine catalyst would be able to interconvert the two diastereomers. 

The modes of addition shown in Figure 6.3 are similar to those shown in Figure 6.2 and are consistent with extant mechanistic work [6,9] they accurately predict the identity of the slower reacting enantiomer. It should be noted, however, that variations in the observed levels of selectivity as a function of the steric and electronic nature of substituents and the ring size cannot be predicted based on these models alone more subtle factors are clearly at work. In spite of such mechanistic questions, the metal-catalyzed resolution protocol provides an attractive option in asymmetric synthesis. This is because, although the maximum possible yield is 40 %, catalytic resolution requires easily accessible racemic starting materials and conversion levels can be manipulated so that truly pure samples of substrate enantiomers are obtained. 

Related catalytic enantioselective processes It is worthy of note that the powerful Ti-catalyzed asymmetric epoxidation procedure of Sharpless [27] is often used in the preparation of optically pure acyclic allylic alcohols through the catalytic kinetic resolution of easily accessible racemic mixtures [28]. When the catalytic epoxidation is applied to cyclic allylic substrates, reaction rates are retarded and lower levels of enantioselectivity are observed. Ru-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation has been employed by Noyori to effect the resolution of five- and six-membered allylic carbinols [29] in this instance, as with the Ti-catalyzed procedure, the presence of an unprotected hydroxyl function is required. Perhaps the most efficient general procedure for the enantioselective synthesis of this class of cyclic allylic ethers is that recently developed by Trost and co-workers, involving Pd-catalyzed asymmetric additions of alkoxides to allylic esters [30]. 

The origin of the idea that a ribosome might be a ribozyme is derived from the experiment in which peptidyl transferase activity was observed even after digestion of protein components of the ribosome [15]. This was surprising because the most important biological function involved in the synthesis of proteins is catalyzed by RNA. Recently, a large ribosomal subunit from Haloarcula marismortui was determined at a resolution of 2.4 A [16, 155]. Importantly, because of the absence of proteins at the active site, it was concluded that the key peptidyl transferase reaction is accomplished by the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) itself, not by proteins. How does it work ... 

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