Asymmetric deuteration of N-acetyl-(Z)-α,β-dehydrotryptophan-(L)-phenylalanine methyl ester produced by (L)-tryptophan 2′,3′-oxidase from Chromobacterium violaceum. A new route for stereospecific labelling of peptides

Photoredox-Catalyzed Enantioselective α-Deuteration of Azaarenes with D2O

The site-specific incorporation of deuterium (D) into small molecules is frequently used to access isotopically labeled compounds with broad utility in many research areas, such as drug development, mechanistic studies, and NMR analyses. Nevertheless, the deuteration of a stereocenter in an enantioselective manner, which could slow the metabolism and improve the bioavailability of bioactive molecules, remains challenging owing to the lack of established catalytic methods. Here, we report an asymmetric α-deuteration strategy for azaarenes with inexpensive D₂O as the deuterium source. A cooperative visible light-driven photoredox and chiral Brønsted acid–catalyzed system using a Hantzsch ester as the terminal reductant has been developed, which enables racemic α-chloro-azaarenes and prochiral azaarene-substituted ketones to experience a single-electron reduction–enantioselective deuteration process. The transition metal-free method provides important chiral α-deuterated azaarenes in satisfactory yields with good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee) and substantial deuterium incorporation.

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Enantioselective deuteration enabled by photoredox asymmetric catalysis

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D₂O as the deuterium source

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Azaarenes with a deuterated stereocenter

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Transition-metal-free catalyst system

Stereochemical Course of Tryptophan Dehydrogenation during Biosynthesis of the Calcium-Dependent Lipopeptide Antibiotics

[reaction: see text] Hydrogen atoms are abstracted from the C2' and C3'-pro-S positions of an (S)-tryptophanyl precursor, with overall syn stereochemistry, during the biosynthesis of the C-terminal Z-2',3'-dehydrotryptophan residue of the calcium-dependent lipopeptide antibiotics (CDAs) in Streptomyces coelicolor. The absence of beta-hydroxytryptophanyl, or other possible intermediates, further suggests a direct dehydrogenation mechanism similar to that proposed for the l-tryptophan 2',3'-oxidase from Chromobacterium violaceum.