Polymer-supported Cinchona alkaloid-derived ammonium salts as recoverable phase-transfer catalysts for the asymmetric synthesis of α-amino acids

Article abstract of DOI:10.3390/90500349

Alkaloids such as cinchonidine, quinine and N-methylephedrine have been N-alkylated using polymeric benzyl halides or co-polymerized and then N-alkylated, thus affording a series of polymer-supported chiral ammonium salts which have been employed as phase-transfer catalysts in the asymmetric benzylation of an N-(diphenylmethylene)glycine ester. These new polymeric catalysts can be easily recovered by simple filtration after the reaction and reused. The best ee's were achieved when Merrifield resin-anchored cinchonidinium ammonium salts were employed.

Full text of DOI:10.3390/90500349

Molecules 2004, 9, 349-364
molecules
ISSN 1420-3049
http://www.mdpi.org
Polymer-Supported Cinchona Alkaloid-Derived Ammonium
Salts as Recoverable Phase-Transfer Catalysts for the
Asymmetric Synthesis of α-Amino Acids†
Rafael Chinchilla, Patricia Mazón and Carmen Nájera*
Departamento de Química Orgánica and Instituto de Síntesis Orgánica (ISO), Universidad de Alicante,
Apdo. 99, 03080 Alicante, Spain. Tel.: (+34) 965 903728, Fax: (+34) 965 903549.
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; e-mail: cnajera@ua.es
† Dedicated to Prof. Ramón Mestres on the occasion of his 65th anniversary.
Received: 2 March 2004 / Accepted: 22 March 2004 / Published: 30 April 2004
Abstract: Alkaloids such as cinchonidine, quinine and N-methylephedrine have been
N-alkylated using polymeric benzyl halides or co-polymerized and then N-alkylated, thus
affording a series of polymer-supported chiral ammonium salts which have been
employed as phase-transfer catalysts in the asymmetric benzylation of an
N-(diphenylmethylene)glycine ester. These new polymeric catalysts can be easily
recovered by simple filtration after the reaction and reused. The best ee’s were achieved
when Merrifield resin-anchored cinchonidinium ammonium salts were employed.
Keywords: Amino acids, asymmetric synthesis, phase-transfer catalysis, chiral
ammonium salts.
Introduction
The synthesis of optically active α-amino acids using simple and easily scalable procedures is an
important synthetic challenge due to their industrial interest [1]. Amongst all the reported
methodologies, the enantioselective synthesis of α-amino acids employing easily available and re-

Molecules 2004, 9
350
usable chiral catalysts presents clear synthetic advantages for large-scale procedures. Particularly, the
phase-transfer catalysis (PTC) [2] methodology applied to the asymmetric alkylation of glycine and
alanine Schiff bases is the most simple and easy to scale up. Thus, N-arylmethyl substituted Cinchona
alkaloid-derived ammonium salts such as cinchonidine derivatives of the type 1 have been employed
as chiral phase-transfer catalysts [3] in the asymmetric alkylation of iminic glycinates, first by
O’Donnell [4] (1, R = H, Ar = Ph, X = Cl) and then by Corey [5] (1, R = allyl, Ar = 9-anthryl, X = Br)
and Lygo [6] (1, R = H, Ar = 9-anthryl, X = Cl). Interestingly, an opposite sense of the asymmetric
induction can be observed changing the alkaloid moiety from cinchonidine [(S)-enantioselectivity] to
its so-called pseudoenantiomer cinchonine [(R)-enantioselectivity] [7]. Moreover, dimeric [8], trimeric
[9] and even dendrimeric [10] Cinchona alkaloid-derived catalysts, as well as non-Cinchona-derived
species such as spiroammonium [11] and phosphonium salts [12], TADDOL [13a,b] and other tartaric
acid derivatives [13c,d], guanidinium salts [13e], binaphthyl-derived amines [13b,14] and salen-metal
complexes [15] have also been used in these kinds of asymmetric PTC alkylations.
Attaching the chiral catalyst to a solid support can be considered a next step in the development of
the PTC methodology due to the resulting ease of separation and possible recycling. As a result, the
preparation and uses of all kind of supported reagents is considered nowadays a fast developing topic
[16]. Polymeric Cinchona alkaloids have been previously used as catalysts [3] in other processes such
as asymmetric Michael addition [17], dihydroxylation [18] and aminohydroxylation [19] reactions.
However, the use of polymeric Cinchona alkaloid-derived ammonium salts as PTC catalysts for the
asymmetric synthesis of α-amino acid derivatives is very recent and limited. Thus, N-supported
Merrifield resin-derived ammonium salts 2 (n = 1, R = H, X = Cl [20]; n = 4, 6 or 8, R = H, OMe, X =
I [21]) from cinchonidine and quinine (R = OMe) have been prepared, as well O-supported polymeric
derivatives such as 3 [22] (R = H, OMe, Ar = 9-anthryl) and N- and O-alkylated polyethylene glycol
(PEG) monomethyl ether ammonium salt derivatives such as 4 [23a] (R = H, OMe, Ar = 9-anthryl) and
5 [R = H, OMe, Ar = 9-anthryl, oblong circle = MeOPEG5000O2C- [23a]; R = H, Ar = 9-anthryl,
oblong circle = MeOPEG5000O-C6H4-(CH2)3O- [23b] ], respectively. In addition, a quinine-derived N-
methylanthryl ammonium salt attached to a PEG chain at the 6-position of the quinoleine nucleus has
been prepared [23b]. All these polymers have being used for the asymmetric alkylation of glycinate
imines.
H
H
H
X-
R
N
R
N
Cl-
X-
H
H
H
N
N
N
+
+
+
Ar
Ar
PS
( )n
O
OR
OH
N
PS
1
2
3

Molecules 2004, 9
351
H
H
R
N
Cl-
Cl-
H
R
H
N
+
Ar
N
O PEG5000_OMe
O
+
O
OH
N
5
4
In this context, and as part of our ongoing studies towards the synthesis of easily recoverable and
reusable PTC catalysts for the asymmetric synthesis of α-amino acids [8b,10,20c], we describe in this
paper the preparation of a series of ammonium salts derived from alkaloids such as cinchonidine (6),
quinine (7) and N-methylephedrine (8), supported mainly at the nitrogen to an array of commercially
available or easily prepared polymers, as well as their use as chiral catalysts in the model asymmetric
benzylation reaction of a N-(diphenylmethylene)glycine ester under PTC conditions.
H
R
Me
H
OH
N
6, R = H
Me2N
7, R = OMe
Ph
OH
8
N
Results and Discussion
Polymer-supported ammonium salt 2a was obtained as previously reported [20c] by N-alkylation of
cinchonidine (6) with the Merrifield resin (Fluka, polystyrene crosslinked with 1% divinylbenzene, 1.7
meq Cl/g resin) in refluxing toluene, and is included in this study for comparison. When the
N-alkylation reaction was carried out on O-allyl cinchonidine [5a] using Merrifield resin the
O-allylated polymer 2b was obtained, whereas resin 2c was prepared similarly to resin 2a, but using
quinine (7) instead of cinchonidine. Moreover, we also prepared in the same way the (1R,2S)-N-
methylephedrine (8)-supported resin 9, which has been previously used in the PTC ethylation of
α-cyanotoluene giving rather low ee’s [24], although its use in the alkylation of glycinimides was
never attempted.
After the preparation of these Merrifield resin-derived chiral ammonium salts, we thought to
explore the influence of the support in the performance of the polymeric ammonium salts as PTC
catalysts. Thus, we prepare the N-tritylated polymer-supported cinchonidine 10a by reaction of 6 with
the corresponding polymer bound triphenylchloromethane (Fluka, 1% DVB, 1.1 mmol Cl/g resin), and
also its O-allylated counterpart 10b, similarly to 2b. In addition, the cinchonidine 6 was N-anchored to
chloromethylated 1-[4-(4-vinylphenoxy)butoxy]-4-vinylbenzene-crosslinked polystyrene (JandaJelTM-

Molecules 2004, 9
352
Cl, Aldrich, 2% crosslinking, 0.45-0.7 mmol Cl/g resin) and to Wang-Br resin (Novabiochem, 1%
DVB, 100-200 mesh, 1.19 mmol Br/g resin) to afford polymeric ammonium salts 11 and 12,
respectively. Finally, polymer-supported cinchonidine 13a was obtained by reaction of 6 with
chloromethylated polyethyleneglycol-polystyrene copolymer (ArgoGelTM-Cl, Argonaut Technologies,
1% DVB, 0.4 mmol Cl/g resin), whereas its O-allylated analogue 13b was prepared as above.
H
H
Cl-
Cl-
R1
N
Cl-
OH
Me
H
+
H
N
N
+
+
N
Ph
Me2
Ph
Ph
OR
OR2
PS
N
PS
PS
2a, R1 = H, R2 = H
10a, R = H
9
2b, R1 = H, R2 = Allyl
2c, R1 = OMe, R2 = H
10b, R = Allyl
H
H
H
PS
Cl-
Br-
Cl-
AG
O
H
N
H
H
N
N
+
+
+
OH
OH
OR
N
N
N
O
O
JJ
11
12
13a, R = H
13b, R = Allyl
PS = polystyrene
JJ = JandaJelTM
AG = ArgoGelTM
After the preparation of all these supported ammonium salts from commercially available polymers,
we thought of the synthesis of an anchored cinchonidinium-derived ammonium salt incorporating a
9-anthrylmethyl moiety, which has shown its efficiency as an enantioselectivity-increasing group in
Cinchona-derived PTC catalysts [5,6]. Thus, we prepared the mercapto resin 15 by treatment of the
Merrifield resin (14) with thiourea and subsequent hydrolysis (Scheme 1) [25]. This resin was
deprotonated with sodium hydride and reacted with 9,10-dichloromethylanthracene [26] (2 equiv) and
subsequently with cinchonidine (6), affording polymeric salt 16.

Molecules 2004, 9
353
Scheme 1.
Cl
SH
1. (H2N)2C=S
2. aq NaOH
1. NaH
2. 9,10-dichloromethylanthracene
PS
PS
3. 6
15
14
H
Cl-
H
N
+
PS
OH
S
N
16
The incorporation of the alkaloid in all these obtained catalysts was demosntrated by the presence
of new bands in the IR spectra attributable to the alkaloid structure, and also by the increase in the
initial resin weight and also the elemental analysis, which also allowed the determination of the
loading.
Finally, we also obtained co-polymeric cinchonidine-derived ammonium salt 18 by N-alkylation of
an acrylonitrile and cinchonidine co-polymer 17 [27]. Thus, a mixture of acrylonitrile and
cinchonidine (9:1 molar ratio) and a catalytic amount of azabisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) was heated in
degassed DMF at 90ºC affording after precipitation the co-polymer 17 (Scheme 2), which reacted with
9-chloro-methylanthracene to give co-polymeric ammonium salt 18.
Scheme 2.
CN
CN
H
H
m
n
m
n
Cl-
CH2=CHCN
H
9-chloromethylanthracene
H
N
N
6
+
AIBN cat.
DMF
OH
OH
N
N
17
18
Polymers 2, 9-13 as well as 16 and 18 were used as insoluble PTC catalysts (0.1 eq) in the model
triphase benzylation reaction of glycine-derived N-(diphenylmethylene)glycine isopropyl ester 19 [28]
with benzyl bromide in an organic solvent and using an aqueous base (Scheme 3). The isopropyl ester
19 was chosen, instead of the tert-butyl derivative usually employed in asymmetric PTC alkylations,

Molecules 2004, 9
354
due to preliminary experiments using polymeric ammonium salts such as 2a, which showed higher
ee’s and lower reaction times in the alkylation of this glycine derivative [20c]. In addition, toluene was
used as solvent and 25% aq NaOH as base when working at r.t. or 0ºC, whereas a mixture of
toluene/CHCl3 (7:3 v/v) and 50% aq KOH was used when lower reaction temperatures were employed
[8c]. The resulting yields and ee’s are summarized in Table 1. In all cases the (S)-enantiomer 20 was
obtained. The ee values were determined by chiral GLC analysis from the corresponding
trifluoroacetamide, obtained after 2M HCl hydrolysis of the imine 20 and further reaction with
trifluoroacetic anhydride [29]. A racemic reference sample of 20 was prepared using
tetrabutylammonium bromide as phase-transfer catalyst.
Scheme 3.
Ph
N
CO2iPr
Ph
N
CO2iPr
PhCH2Br, 2, 9-13, 18 or 20 cat.
Solvent, Base
Ph
Ph
Ph
20
19
From the results shown in Table 1 it can be observed that the Merrifield-anchored cinchonidine-
derived ammonium salt 2a afforded the higher ee at 0ºC (90%, Table 1, entry 2), and lowering the
reaction temperature further did not produce an increase in the ee (entries 3 and 4). However, its
allylated counterpart 2b gave place to considerably lower ee values, both at r.t. (entry 5) or 0ºC (entry
6). The analogous polymeric quinine derivative 2c was clearly less effective as an asymmetric PTC
catalyst than its structurally similar cinchonidine-derivative 2a, giving very low ee’s (Table 1, entries 7
and 8). Moreover, the (1R,2S)-N-methylephedrine-derived resin 9 gave a low yield of an almost
racemic 20 (Table 1, entry 9).
The polymeric trityl-anchored cinchonidine salt 10a gave a 44% ee of 20 working at r.t. (Table 1,
entry 10), which was raised to 70% ee when the temperature was lowered to 0ºC (Table 1, entry 11),
but showed no further increment when the reaction was carried out at -20ºC (Table 1, entry 12).
Similarly to 2a, when the benzylation reaction was carried out with the O-allylated trityl-supported
resin 10b resin, the ee dropped remarkably (Table 1, entry 13). In addition, the JandaJelTM-anchored
cinchonidine ammonium salt 11 gave a 62% ee of 20 at r.t. (Table 1, entry 14) and a slightly lower
56% ee at 0ºC, with an observed increase of the reaction time (Table 1, entry 15), whereas the Wang-
supported cinchonidinium salt 12 gave ca. 55% ee, both at r.t. or 0ºC (Table 1, entries 16 and 17).
Moreover, ArgoGelTM-supported cinchonidinium salt 13a afforded up to 68% ee from r.t. to -20ºC
(Table 1, entries 18-20) and again a tremendous drop in the ee was observed using its O-allylated
counterpart 13b (Table 1, entry 21).
Furthermore, when the N-substituted 9-anthrylmethyl derivative 16 was used as PTC catalyst, up to
74% ee of 20 was obtained working at -20ºC (Table 1, entry 23). The use of the co-polymeric
cinchonidinium ammonium salt 18 with an anthrylmethyl group at the N gave a 44% ee when working

Molecules 2004, 9
355
at r.t. (Table 1, entry 25), which increased to 70% ee, almost independently of reductions in the
temperature to 0ºC or -20ºC (Table 1, entries 26 and 27).
Table 1. Enantioselective PTC benzylation of glycine derivative 19 using polymeric chiral catalysts
Entry Catalyst
Base
Solvent
PhMe
PhMe
T (ºC)
25
0
-20
-40
25
0
25
0
0
25
0
-20
0
25
0
25
0
25
0
-20
0
25
0
-20
25
0
t (h)
4
17
10
9
10
140
8
96
160
1
10
18
120
4
10
12
120
10
20
15
60
2
Yielda (%)
90
90
46
56
62
23
76
81
33
96
59
71
7
eeb (%)
66
90
76
85
34
50
18
20
2
1
2
2a
2a
25% NaOH
25% NaOH
25% KOH
50% KOH
25% NaOH
25% NaOH
25% NaOH
25% NaOH
25% NaOH
25% NaOH
25% NaOH
50% KOH
25% NaOH
25% NaOH
25% NaOH
25% NaOH
25% NaOH
25% NaOH
25% NaOH
50% KOH
25% NaOH
25% NaOH
25% NaOH
50% KOH
25% NaOH
25% NaOH
50% KOH
3
4
2a
2a
PhMe:CHCl3
PhMe:CHCl3
PhMe
5
6
7
2b
2b
2c
PhMe
PhMe
PhMe
PhMe
PhMe
PhMe
8
9
2c
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
10a
10a
10a
10b
11
11
12
44
70
69
2
62
56
56
54
63
64
68
8
59
70
74
44
70
71
PhMe:CHCl3
PhMe
PhMe
PhMe
PhMe
PhMe
PhMe
PhMe
76
71
78
63
75
91
90
28
92
94
86
96
49
74
12
13a
13a
13a
13b
16
16
16
18
18
18
PhMe:CHCl3
PhMe
PhMe
PhMe
PhMe:CHCl3
PhMe
32
3
1
170
13
PhMe
PhMe:CHCl3
-20
a
1
b
Crude yield determined by H NMR (300 MHz). Determined by chiral GLC analysis from the
corresponding trifluoroacetamide (see text).
After the benzylation reaction, the polymeric catalysts were filtered off from the reaction mixture
and were reused up to three times without any loss of effectivity.

Molecules 2004, 9
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Conclusions
We have prepared chiral polymeric ammonium salts by anchoring a number of alkaloids, mainly
from Cinchona, to different commercially available halogenated polymers and to a prepared anthryl-
containing polystyrene. In addition, we have also obtained a cinchonidinium salt-acrylonitrile co-
polymer. All these polymeric ammonium salts have been employed as solid-supported chiral PTC
catalysts for the asymmetric benzylation of N-(diphenylmethylene)glycine isopropyl ester achieving
moderate enantioselectivities. The best results were obtained using a Merrifield resin-supported
cinchonidinium salt, the use quinine or ephedrine-derived ammonium salts affording poor results. In
all cases higher ee’s were obtained when a hydroxyl group was present in the alkaloid moiety, their O-
allylated counterparts giving lower enantioselectivities. Lowering the reaction temperature usually
resulted in higher ee’s, although temperatures below 0 ºC generally did not affected remarkably the
degree of asymmetric induction. All the supported catalysts could be separated from the reaction
mixture by simple filtration and recycled.
Acknowledgments
We thank the Ministerio de Educación y Cultura (MEC) of Spain (DGICYT, research project
BQU2001-0724-C02-01), the Generalitat Valenciana (GV99-33-1-02) and the Universidad de Alicante
for financial support.
Experimental
General
Reagents and solvents from commercial suppliers were of the best grade available and used as
provided unless otherwise stated. IR spectra were recorded with a Nicolet 510 P-FT. NMR spectra
were measured with a Bruker AC-300 at 300 MHz for 1H- and 75 MHz for 13C- using TMS as internal
standard. Elemental analyses were carried out by the Microanalytical Service at the Research
Technical Services of the University of Alicante. Chiral GLC analysis were performed using a
Chirasil-L-Val column (Chrompack), 1 min 85º, 2º/min to 180º.
General procedure for the preparation of the polymeric ammonium salts 2 and 9-13.
The corresponding halogenated polymer (1 meq) was added to a suspension of the alkaloid 6, 7 or 8
(2 mmol) in toluene (10 mL) and the mixture was stirred under reflux for 24 h. The reaction mixture
was cooled to r.t. and the solid was filtered, washed with AcOEt (3 x 15 mL) and dried in vacuo,
affording the polymer-supported ammonium salts 2a, 2c, 9, 10a, 11, 12 and 13a. The O-allylated

Molecules 2004, 9
357
polymeric ammonium salts 2b, 10b and 13b were obtained following the same procedure, but starting
from O-allyl cinchonidine [5a].
Polymeric ammonium salt 2a
IR (KBr) cm-1: 3415 (broad), 3060, 2940, 1596, 1430, 1220, 1100, 750.
Microanalysis: % N = 3.25; loading = 1.7 mmol g-1
Polymeric ammonium salt 2b
IR (KBr) cm-1: 3080, 2939, 1590, 1440, 1231, 1103, 760.
Microanalysis: % N = 2.03; loading = 1.2 mmol g-1
Polymeric ammonium salt 2c
IR (KBr) cm-1: 3398 (broad), 3020, 2920, 615, 1497, 1455, 1241, 1012, 757.
Microanalysis: % N = 3.06; loading = 1.6 mmol g-1
Polymeric ammonium salt 9
IR (KBr) cm-1: 3382 (broad), 3033, 2925, 1596, 1499, 1441, 1011, 756.
Microanalysis: % N = 1.72; loading = 1.6 mmol g-1
Polymeric ammonium salt 10a
IR (KBr) cm-1: 3241 (broad), 3015, 2925, 1598, 1460, 1100, 763.
Microanalysis: % N = 1.89; loading = 0.9 mmol g-1
Polymeric ammonium salt 10b
IR (KBr) cm-1: 3054, 2929, 1645, 1448, 1148, 695.
Microanalysis: % N = 0.39; loading = 0.2 mol g-1
Polymeric ammonium salt 11
IR (KBr) cm-1: 3370 (broad), 3019, 2912, 1602, 1488, 1448, 1233, 1025, 751.
Microanalysis: % N = 1.39; loading = 0.6 mmol g-1
Polymeric ammonium salt 12
IR (KBr) cm-1: 3351 (broad), 3063, 2919, 1599, 1457, 1221, 1115, 754.
Microanalysis: % N = 2.51%; loading = 1.2 mmol g-1
Polymeric ammonium salt 13a
IR (KBr) cm-1: 3505 (broad), 3020, 2840, 1602, 1452, 1295, 1240, 1105, 699.
Microanalysis: % N = 0.37; loading = 0.4 mmol g-1

Molecules 2004, 9
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Polymeric ammonium salt 13b
IR (KBr) cm-1: 2924, 1618, 1460, 1356, 1252, 1110, 695.
Microanalysis: % N = 0.30; loading = 0.4 mmol g-1
Preparation of polymeric ammonium salt 16
A suspension of Merrifield resin (Fluka, 1% DVB, 1.7 meq. Cl/g resin) (3 meq, 1.76 g) and thiourea
(12.78 mmol, 971 mg) in a mixture of THF (20 mL) and EtOH (6 mL) is refluxed for 2 days and the
resin thus obtained is filtered and washed successively with water (3 x 20 mL), THF (3 x 20 mL) and
benzene (3 x 20 mL). The solid was then suspended in benzene (27 mL) and a mixture of
tetrabutylammonium iodide (0.08 mmol, 28 mg) and NaOH (25.95 mmol, 1.038 g) in water (1.4 mL)
was added. The reaction mixture was stirred at 80 ºC under nitrogen for 2 days and the resulting solid
was filtered and washed successively with THF (3 x 20 mL), water (3 x 20 mL), THF/6M HCl (3:1
v/v, 3 x 20 mL), water (3 x 20 mL), THF, (3 x 20 mL), acetone (3 x 20 mL), CH2Cl2 (3 x 20 mL) and
MeOH (3 x 20 mL). After drying in vacuo (15 Torr), the resin 15 [25] (1.85 g) was obtained. A
suspension of 15 (1 mmol, 654 mg) in toluene (12 mL) was treated with NaH (60% mineral oil, 1.2
mmol, 30 mg) and 9,10-dichloromethylanthracene [26] (2 mmol, 550 mg) was added. The mixture was
refluxed 24 h and the resulting solid was filtered, washed with AcOEt (4 x 20 mL) and treated with
cinchonidine (6) as in the preparation of the former ammonium salts (see above), to give polymeric
ammonium salt 16.
IR (KBr) cm-1: 3399 (broad), 3049, 3015, 2910, 1598, 1499, 1451, 755, 698.
Microanalysis: % N = 2.55; loading = 1.4 mmol g-1
Preparation of co-polymeric ammonium salt 18 [27]
A degassed solution of cinchonidine (6) (4 mmol, 1.178 g), acrylonitrile (36.4, 2.4 mL) and AIBN
(0.3 mmol, 48 mg) in DMF (12 mL) was heated in a pressure tube at 90 ºC for 48 h. The mixture was
cooled to r.t., water (15 mL) and AcOEt (15 mL) were added and the solid was filtered, washed with
AcOEt (5 x 15 mL) and dried (15 Torr). To a solution of this solid (606 mg) in DMSO (10 mL) was
added 9-chloromethylanthracene (8 mmol, 1.814 g) and the mixture was refluxed for 24 h. The mixture
was cooled to r.t. and the solid was filtered, washed with AcOEt (5 x 15 mL) and dried (15 Torr)
affording 18 (840 mg).
IR (KBr) cm-1: 3416 (broad), 2939, 2247, 1622, 1448, 1246, 1031, 749.
[α]D25 – 24 (c 0.5, DMSO)

Molecules 2004, 9
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General procedure for the benzylation of 19 using the polymeric ammonium salts as PTC catalysts:
Preparation of isopropyl 2-diphenylmethylenamino-3-phenylpropanoate (20).
Benzyl bromide (0.6 mmol, 72 µL) was added to a stirred suspension of 19 [28] (0.5 mmol, 140
mg), the polymeric catalyst (0.1 eq) and the aqueous base (4 mL) in the appropriate solvent (5 mL) and
at the selected temperature (see Table 1). When the reaction was considered finished (GLC), the
mixture was filtered and the solid was washed with AcOEt (25 mL), thus giving the recovered
polymeric catalyst. The filtrate was washed with water (3 x 15 mL) and the organic phase was dried
1
(MgSO4), filtered off and evaporated (15 Torr) to give the title compound: H-NMR (CDCl3) δ: 1.19,
1.21 (6H, 2d, J = 6.5), 3.17 (1H, dd, J = 13.1, 9.2), 3.27 (1H, dd, J = 13.1, 4.3), 4.19 (1H, dd, J = 9.2,
13
4.3), 5.04 (1H, heptet, J = 6.1), 6.62 (1H, m), 7.03-7.60 (13H, m), 7.79 (1H, d, J = 7.9); C-NMR
(CDCl3) δ: 21.7, 39.5, 67.3, 68.2, 126.1, 127.5, 127.8, 128.2, 128.6, 129.7, 129.9, 130.1, 132.3, 136.1,
138.0, 139.4, 170.5, 171.1; IR (thin film) cm-1: 3063, 3032, 1742, 1629; HRMS (EI) for C22H25NO2
(M+): Calcd 371.1885; Found 371.1847.
References and Notes
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(SRS) - applications, limitations, and abandonment of a synthetic principle. Angew. Chem. Int.
Ed. Engl. 1996, 35, 2708-2748; (b) Wirth, T. New strategies to α-alkylated α-amino acids.
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 1997, 36, 225-227; (c) Cativiela, C.; Díaz-de-Villegas, M.D.
Stereoselective synthesis of quaternary α-amino acids. Part 1: acyclic compounds.
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isopropanol (Patel, R.P.; Price, S. Synthesis of benzyl esters of α-amino acids. J. Org. Chem.

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1965, 30, 3575-3576), followed by treatment of the crude product with benzophenone imine
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Sample Availability: Samples of the catalysts are available from the authors.
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