Large scale enantiomeric synthesis, purification, and characterization of ω-unsaturated amino acids via a Gly-Ni(II)-BPB-complex

Further Studies on the [1,2]-Wittig Rearrangement of 2-(2-Benzyloxy)aryloxazolines

The behaviour of 14 ortho-functionalised 2-aryloxazolines (11 of them prepared and characterised for the first time) with butyllithium has been examined. Significant limitations to the Wittig rearrangement of such systems are revealed. In terms of asymmetric Wittig rearrangement, good diastereoselectivity is obtained with a valine-derived 4-isopropyl oxazoline, but this is compromised by racemisation upon hydrolysis. More encouraging selectivity is achieved in the Wittig rearrangement of an acyclic phenylalanine-derived ortho-benzyloxy benzamide.

Synthesis of 2-aminosuberic acid derivatives as components of some histone deacetylase inhibiting cyclic tetrapeptides

A new synthesis of the important amino acid 2-aminosuberic acid from aspartic acid is reported. The methodology involves the alternate preparation of (S)-2-aminohept-6-enoate ester as a building block and its diversification through a cross-metathesis reaction to prepare the title compounds. The utility of the protocol is demonstrated through the preparation of three suberic acid derivatives of relevance to the design and the synthesis of peptides of biological relevance.

Organic chemistry and biology: chemical biology through the eyes of collaboration

From a scientific perspective, efforts to understand biology including what constitutes health and disease has become a chemical problem. However, chemists and biologists "see" the problems of understanding biology from different perspectives, and this has retarded progress in solving the problems especially as they relate to health and disease. This suggests that close collaboration between chemists and biologists is not only necessary but essential for progress in both the biology and chemistry that will provide solutions to the global questions of biology. This perspective has directed my scientific efforts for the past 45 years, and in this overview I provide my perspective of how the applications of synthetic chemistry, structural design, and numerous other chemical principles have intersected in my collaborations with biologists to provide new tools, new science, and new insights that were only made possible and fruitful by these collaborations.

Second-generation DBFOX ligands for the synthesis of beta-substituted alpha-amino acids via enantioselective radical conjugate additions

A set of second-generation DBFOX ligands possessing extended aryl or benzyl-type groups was synthesized. The requisite amino alcohols were either commercially available (DBFOX/Bn) or constructed via Sharpless asymmetric aminohydroxylation (DBFOX/Nap, DBFOX/ t-BuPh, DBFOX/Pip) or phase-transfer-catalyzed asymmetric alkylation (DBFOX/MeNap). Complexes of the ligands with Mg(NTf2)2 were evaluated as promoters of enantioselective radical conjugate additions to alpha,beta-unsaturated alpha-nitro amides and esters. Reactions employing the DBFOX/Nap ligand exhibited improved enantioselectivity relative to previously published additions mediated by DBFOX/Ph. However, the relatively modest increase in diastereomeric ratio suggests that our substrate-Lewis acid binding model, which was formulated based on results from DBFOX/Ph-promoted radical conjugate additions, is in need of revision.

Characterization of Ni(II) complexes of Schiff bases of amino acids and (S)-N-(2-benzoylphenyl)-1-benzylpyrrolidine-2-carboxamide using ion trap and QqTOF electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

This work demonstrates the application of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) using two different mass analyzers, ion trap and hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight (QqTOF) mass analyzer, for the structural characterization of Ni(II) complexes of Schiff bases of (S)-N-(2-benzoylphenyl)-1-benzylpyrrolidine-2-carboxamide with different amino acids. ESI enables the determination of molecular weight on the basis of rather simple positive-ion ESI mass spectra containing only protonated molecules and adducts with sodium or potassium ions. Fragmentation patterns are characterized by tandem mass spectrometric experiments, where both tandem mass analyzers provide complementary information. QqTOF data are used for the determination of elemental composition of individual ions due to mass accuracies always better than 3 ppm with the external calibration, while multistage tandem mass spectra obtained by the ion trap are suitable for studying the fragmentation paths. The novel aspect of our approach is the combination of mass accuracies and relative abundances of all isotopic peaks in isotopic clusters providing more powerful data for the structural characterization of organometallic compounds containing polyisotopic elements. The benefit of relative and absolute mean mass accuracies is demonstrated on the example of studied Ni(II) complexes.

Peptidomimetics, a synthetic tool of drug discovery

The demand for modified peptides with improved stability profiles and pharmacokinetic properties is driving extensive research effort in this field. Many structural modifications of peptides guided by rational design and molecular modeling have been established to develop novel synthetic approaches. Recent advances in the synthesis of conformationally restricted building blocks and peptide bond isosteres are discussed.

{2-[(S)-({2-[(S)-1-Benzyl-pyrrolidine-2-carboxamido]phen-yl}(phen-yl)methyl-ene)amino]-4-hydroxy-butanoato-κN,N',N'',O}nickel(II)

The central Ni atom of the title compound, [Ni(C₂₉H₂₉N₃O₄)], is coordinated by three N atoms [Ni—N = 1.955 (2), 1.844 (2) and 1.872 (2) Å] and by one O atom [Ni—O = 1.862 (2) Å] in a pseudo-square-planar geometry. The conformation of the hydroxy­butanoate side chain is controlled by a strong intra­molecular hydrogen bond (H⋯O = 1.84 Å).

Synthesis of Anti-beta-substituted gamma,delta-unsaturated amino acids via Eschenmoser-Claisen rearrangement

Anti-beta-substituted gamma,delta-unsaturated amino acids have been synthesized via a novel design of the Eschenmoser-Claisen rearrangement. The rearrangement gives good isolated yields and excellent diastereoselectivity due to (Z)-N,O-ketene acetal formation and the pseudochairlike conformations of the reaction intermediates. Upon reductive hydrolysis, important novel amino acids and amino alcohols were synthesized for the first time via this methodology.

Synthesis of beta-substituted alpha-amino acids via Lewis acid promoted enantioselective radical conjugate additions

[Chemical reaction: See text] Lewis acid promoted radical conjugate additions to beta-substituted alpha,beta-unsaturated alpha-nitro esters and amides were investigated. With achiral Lewis acids, there was competition between the desired radical conjugate addition and undesired alkene reduction mediated by Bu3nH. Zinc Lewis acids provided the greatest amounts of addition products with both substrate classes. Studies with Bu3nD indicated that the acidic alpha-stereocenter of the alpha-nitro ester products does not racemize under controlled workup conditions. The corresponding alpha-nitro amides racemized significantly during chromatography, but this problem could be greatly minimized by subjecting the crude adducts to subsequent transformations. Indium-mediated reduction of the nitro group followed by acylation of the resulting amine provided good yields of beta-substituted alpha-amino acid derivatives with mimimal levels of racemization. Attempts to use chiral Lewis acids in a stereoselective variant of this process revealed that Kanemasa's DBFOX/Ph ligand (14a) was uniquely effective. Moderate to good ee's and low dr's were obtained with amide substrates. Determination of the absolute configurations of the syn and anti isomers of adduct 7b showed that the hydrogen atom abstraction step was significantly more stereoselective than the radical conjugate addition step. A model for substrate binding to the chiral Lewis acid is presented.

Parallel synthesis and biological evaluation of different sizes of bicyclo[2,3]-Leu-enkephalin analogues

Parallel synthesis of peptides and peptidomimetics has been an important approach to search for biologically active ligands. A novel systematic synthesis of different size bicyclic dipeptide mimetics was developed on solid-phase supports. By taking advantage of the enantioselective synthesis of omega-unsaturated amino acids and their N-methylated derivatives, the hemiaminal problem was prevented in the pathway to thiazolidine formation. The bicyclic dipeptide was generated on the solid-phase support in three steps by an unconventional method. By inserting this bicyclic scaffold into the synthesis of a larger bioactive peptide, 11 different sizes of bicyclo[2,3]-Leu-enkephalin analogues were synthesized in a fast and efficient way. Modeling studies show that a reversed turn structure at positions 2-3 was favored when an L- and L-bicyclic scaffold was used, and that an extended conformation at the N-terminal was favored when a D- and L-bicyclic scaffold was inserted. Binding affinities and bioassay studies show ligands with micromolar binding affinities and antagonist bioactivities for the [6,5]- and [7,5]-bicyclo-Leu-enkephalin analogues.

Synthetic applications of aliphatic unsaturated α-H-α-amino acids

This article provides an overview of the literature concerning synthetic applications of unsaturated aliphatic amino acids in the period May 2000 to December 2004.