Methods for the synthesis of L-leucine selectively labelled with carbon-13 or deuterium in either diastereotopic methyl group

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0040-4039(95)01738-4

A versatile approach is described for the enantioselective synthesis of isotopically labelled L-leucine involving the preparation of 4-methylpentanoic acid labelled selectively with carbon-13 or deuterium in either the pro-R or pro-S methyl group followed by a reductive amination of the ketone catalysed by leucine dehydrogenase. This strategy is applied to the total synthesis of (2S,4R)-[5,5,5-D₃]-leucine using CD₃I as the source of deuterium.