An alkylidene carbene CH insertion strategy for the enantioselective synthesis of α,α-dialkyl-α-amino acids

Recent Progress on the Stereoselective Synthesis of Cyclic Quaternary alpha-Amino Acids

The most recent papers describing the stereoselective synthesis of cyclic quaternary alpha-amino acids are collected in this review. The diverse synthetic approaches are classified according to the size of the ring and taking into account the bond that is formed to complete the quaternary skeleton.

Stereoselective Synthesis of 2-Dienyl-Substituted Pyrrolidines Using an η4-Dienetricarbonyliron Complex as the Stereodirecting Element: Elaboration to the Pyrrolizidine Skeleton

Primary amines react with keto-aldehyde functionality located in the side-chain of an eta4-dienetricarbonyliron complex to provide the corresponding pyrrolidines in excellent diastereoselectivity. Two of the pyrrolidine products, 1i and 1k, have been elaborated into pyrrolizidines using a 1,5-C-H insertion and radical cyclization strategy, respectively.

An Efficient Enantioselective Synthesis of (2R)-Hydroxymethyl Glutamic Acid and an Approach to the (2R)-Hydroxymethyl-Substituted Sphingofungins

We have developed a short enantioselective synthesis of (2R)-hydroxymethyl glutamic acid (HMG) starting from Garner's aldehyde using an alkylidene carbene 1,5-CH insertion as a method to construct the quaternary stereocenter. A variety of conditions were examined for the oxidative cleavage of the key cyclopentene intermediate and we found that RuCl3/NaIO4 led directly to the desired amino bis-acid product. We were also able to show that oxidative cleavage of the cyclopentene 1,5-CH insertion product could be used to produce the amino acid-containing skeleton of the sphingofungin family of natural products.

Enantioselective total syntheses of (−)-clasto-lactacystin β-lactone and 7-epi-(−)-clasto-lactacystin β-lactone

An alkylidene carbene 1,5-CH insertion has been used as a key step in an efficient enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-clasto-lactacystin beta-lactone, and its C7-epimer. An additional noteworthy feature of the synthesis is the use of a novel oxidative deprotection procedure, utilizing DMDO, for the conversion of a late-stage benzylidene acetal into a primary alcohol and a secondary benzoate ester.

Enantioselective synthesis of the excitatory amino acid (1S,3R)-1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid

An enantioselective synthesis of the alpha,alpha-dialkyl-alpha-amino acid (1S,3R)-ACPD has been achieved using an alkylidene carbene 1,5-CH insertion reaction as a key step. The ketone cyclization precursor was synthesized from Garner's aldehyde in high yield via a Wittig homologation and subsequent catalytic hydrogenation. Treatment of the ketone with 1.2 equiv of lithio(trimethylsilyl)diazomethane in THF resulted in the formation of the corresponding cyclopentene-containing CH-insertion product in 62-69% yield in high enantiomeric excess. Subsequent functional group manipulation allowed the synthesis of the amino acid (1S,3R)-ACPD to be completed.

A convenient method for 3-pyrroline synthesis

[reaction: see text]. The synthesis of a range of 3-pyrrolines has been achieved from primary amine starting materials using a two-step alkylation/alkylidene carbene CH-insertion reaction sequence. We have shown that insertion into a range of CH-bond types is possible, and the formation of nitrogen-bearing quaternary stereocenters is a relatively facile process. The insertion reaction occurs with >95% retention of stereochemistry, but the presence of protecting groups on nitrogen is generally deleterious to the cyclization process.