Redox-neutral organocatalytic Mitsunobu reactions

Nucleophilic substitution reactions of alcohols are among the most fundamental and strategically important transformations in organic chemistry. For over half a century, these reactions have been achieved by using stoichiometric, and often hazardous, reagents to activate the otherwise unreactive alcohols. Here, we demonstrate that a specially designed phosphine oxide promotes nucleophilic substitution reactions of primary and secondary alcohols in a redox-neutral catalysis manifold that produces water as the sole by-product. The scope of the catalytic coupling process encompasses a range of acidic pronucleophiles that allow stereospecific construction of carbon-oxygen and carbon-nitrogen bonds.

Lipase mediated chiral resolution of 4-arylthio-2-butanol as an intermediate for β-lactam antibiotics

This paper deals with chiral enzymatic resolution of 4-arylthio-2-butanols by lipase to prepare potential intermediates of beta-lactam antibiotics. Among several lipases employed, lipase P type enzyme gave the highest ee value to prepare (R)-4-arylthio-2-butyl acetate. The enzymatic resolution of phenyl substituted alcohol (6a) using lipase P showed the highest ee value (99.7%) among those of 4-arylthio-2-butanol derivatives. Lipase P mediated hydrolysis of acylester 7a gave also (R)-alcohol 6a selectively. For determination of enantiomeric purity of these enzymatic resolved analytes, liquid chromatographic analysis was performed using two coupled Chiralcel OD and (R,R)-WhelkO chiral column.

Two classes of enzymes of opposite stereochemistry in an organism: one for fluorinated and another for nonfluorinated substrates

Reduction of methyl ketones by dried cells of Geotrichum candidum (APG4) afforded (S)-alcohols in excellent enantiomeric excess (ee), whereas the reduction of trifluoromethyl ketones gave the corresponding alcohols of the opposite configuration also in excellent ee. The replacement of the methyl moiety with a trifluoromethyl group alters both the bulkiness and the electronic properties, the effect of which on the stereoselectivity was examined. No inversion in stereochemistry was observed in the reduction of hindered ketones such as isopropyl ketone, while the stereoselectivity was inverted in the reduction of ketones with electron-withdrawing atoms such as chlorine. The mechanism for the inversion in stereochemistry was investigated by enzymatic studies. Several enzymes with different stereoselectivities were isolated; one of them catalyzed the reduction of methyl ketones, and another with the opposite stereoselectivity catalyzed the reduction of trifluoromethyl ketones. Furthermore, both APG4 and the isolated enzyme were applied to the reduction of fluorinated ketones on a preparative scale, which resulted in the synthesis of chiral fluorinated alcohols with excellent ee.

Microbial transformations

Although the use of microbial biocatalysts for chemical reactions pre-dates by a considerable margin the application of isolated enzymes for this purpose, considerable progress continues to be made in the use of whole-cell catalysts. The application of whole-cell biocatalysts in oxygenase-catalysed reactions, the reductions of carbonyl and nitro groups, and the hydrolysis of nitriles and epoxides, are all areas of continued development. In addition, the use of microbial transformations in the production of drug metabolites, carbohydrates, and amino acids is expanding. Methodological development such as the application of novel immobilisation techniques or the use of non-aqueous solvents continues to enhance the usefulness of microbial biocatalysts.