(R)- and (S)-3-hydroxy-4,4-dimethyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrrolidinone as chiral auxiliaries in the enantioselective preparation of α-amino acids

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0957-4166(99)00018-X

rac-α-Amino acids (rac-1a-d) were formally deracemized by a four-step reaction sequence: (a) protection of the amino function as the phthalimido derivative; (b) acyl chloride formation; (c) diastereoselective reaction with the chiral auxiliaries (R)- or (S)-3-hydroxy-4,4-dimethyl-1-phenyl-2- pyrrolidinone, (R)- or (S)-3; and (d) acid hydrolysis to deprotect both the ester and phthalimido functions. Diastereoselectivities of the intermediate esters 4 were good (82-96% d.e.), except for the case of 4b (41% d.e.), the precursor of valine. The main diastereoisomer of esters 4 was (αR,3S)- or (αS,3R)-, except for 4d: in this case, working at -78°C, the (αR,3R)- diastereoisomer was the main product, which epimerizes easily at the α- position when at room temperature. Acid hydrolysis of esters 4 directly gave the deprotected α-amino acids, with little or no epimerization at the α- position of the α-amino acid and complete recovery of the chiral auxiliary. Only (αR,3R)-4d on acid hydrolysis partially epimerized at the α-position. Moreover, some α-amino acids and their N,N-dibenzyl derivatives were obtained by dynamic kinetic resolution of diastereoisomeric mixtures of α- bromo esters 5 derived from the chiral auxiliaries (R)- or (S)-3 during reaction with dibenzylamine.