Asymmetric Synthesis of Threonine and Partial Resolution and Retroracemization of α-Amino Acids via Copper(II) Complexes of Their Schiff Bases with (S)-2-N-(N'-Benzylprolyl)aminobenzaldehyde and (S)-2-N-(N'-Benzylprolyl)aminoacetophenone. Crystal and Molecular Structure of a ...

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ja00345a057

The work described here is concerned with the search for universal chiral reagent for the asymmetric synthesis, resolution, and retroracemization of amino acids.Reaction of N-benzyl-(S)-proline with o-aminobenzaldehyde or o-aminoacetophenone has given (S)-2-N-(N'-benzylprolyl)aminobenzaldehyde ((S)-BPAB) or (S)-2-N-(N'-benzylprolyl)aminoacetophenone ((S)-BPAAPh).These chiral reagents have interacted with α-amino acids (aa) and Cu(II) ions to form complexes <(S)-BPAB-aa>Cu^II and <(S)-BPAAPh-aa>Cu^II in which Schiff bases (S)-BPAB-aa or (S)-BPAAPh-aa act as tetradentate ligands and coordinate the copper ion by the nitrogen atoms of the pyrrolidine fragment, the deprotonated amide group, and the amino acid fragment and by the oxygen atom of the carboxylate.Such a structure was supported by data on elemental analysis, the molecular weight measurements, and electron, IR, and CD spectra.It was finally confirmed by an X-ray diffraction analysis of <(S)-BPAAPh-Gly>Cu^II.One equivalent of (S)-BPAB has reacted with 2 equiv of (R,S)-aa and 2 equiv of Cu(II), having given preferential formation of copper complexes of Schiff bases with (S)-aa.After their extraction with chloroform the amino acid enriched with the R enantiomer remained in the aqueous solution.In this manner partial resolution of racemic amino acids (Ala, Nva, Phe, Val, Thr) has been carried out with enantiomeric purity 4-50percent. (S)-BPAB or (S)-BPAAPh treatment of a racemic amino acid in the presence of Cu(II) ions (reagents ratio 1:1:1) and CH3O^- ions permits enantiomeric enrichment via conversion of the R into S enantiomer (retroracemization).Thus (S)-Ala, (S)-Nva, (S)-Leu, (S)-Val, (S)Phe, and (S)-PhGly of enantiomeric purity 36, 12, 22, 54, 42, and 35percent, respectively, were obtained from racemic samples.CH3O^--catalyzed reaction of <(S)-BPAB-Gly>Cu^II or <(S)-BPAAPh-Gly>Cu^II with acetaldehyde has given rise to a mixture of diastereomeric complexes, which upon removal of Cu(II) by H2S gave (R)-threonine of 60percent or 97-100percent enantiomeric purity and the threo/allo ratio 6:1 or 19:1, respectively, and permitted recovery of an unchanged initial chiral reagent (S)-BPAB or (S)-BPAAPh.