General and scalable amide bond formation with epimerization-prone substrates using T3P and pyridine

The mild combination of T3P (n-propanephosphonic acid anhydride) and pyridine has been developed for low-epimerization amide bond formation and implemented for the synthesis of a key intermediate to a glucokinase activator. This robust method is general for the coupling of various racemization-prone acid substrates and amines, including relatively non-nucleophilic anilines, and provides amides in high yields with very low epimerization. With easy reaction setup and product isolation, this protocol offers several practical and experimental benefits.

Synthesis of novel enantiopure 4-hydroxypipecolic acid derivatives with a bicyclic beta-lactam structure from a common 3-azido-4-oxoazetidine-2-carbaldehyde precursor

Two different stereocontrolled accesses to new 4-hydroxypipecolic acid analogues with a bicyclic beta-lactam structure have been developed by using intramolecular reductive amination or allenic hydroamination reactions in 2-azetidinone-tethered azides. The access to the cyclization precursors was achieved from 3-azido-4-oxoazetidine-2-carbaldehyde via metal-mediated carbonyl-allenylation in aqueous environment or by organocatalytic direct aldol reaction. The tin hydride-promoted cyclization of the 2-azetidinone-tethered azidoallene is totally regioselective for the central allenic carbon providing a fused piperidine.