JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL RESEARCH 2007 183
Interestingly, Ljungvist and Folkers reported16 the successful
formation of the p-nitrophenyl pyridine-2-carboxylate in 70%
yield from p-nitrophenol and pyridine-2-carboxylic acid in the
presence of DCC in CH2Cl2, but only 16% was obtained in DMF,
along with 30% of 1,4-dicyclohexyl-2-(2-pyridylcarbonyl)
semicarbazide. In contrast, good yields of the p-nitrophenyl
esters of 3- and 4-pyridinecarboxylic acids were obtained even
in DMF. Such results for similar nitrogen heteroaromatic acids
show how small changes effect the outcome of these DCC
assisted reactions.
Reaction between pyrazinecarbonyl chloride (3), and methyl (S)-
(+)-2-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-3-hydroxypropanoate (2). Formation of
methyl (S)(+)-2-benzyloxycarbonylamino-3-(pyrazinecarbonyloxy)
propionate(4),methyl(S)-(+)-2-benzyloxycarbonylamino-3-formyloxy-
propionoate (5), and methyl (R)-(+)-2-benzyloxycarbonylamino-3-
chloro-propionoate (6).
Pyrazinecarbonyl chloride (3),was prepared from the reaction of
pyrazinecarboxylic acid (1 g, 8.06 mmol), thionyl chloride (2.4 ml,
32.24 mmol) and DMF (0.06 ml, 0.81 mmol) in dichloromethane
(30 ml) at room temperature, under stirring and nitrogen atmosphere.
After 3–4 hours, the reaction mixture was concentrated by evaporation
to 1–2 ml and the crude mixture was used as such in the next stage.
To the stirred solution of methyl (S)-(+)-2-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-
3-hydroxypropanoate, 2, 7.25 mmol) and triethylamine (1.5 ml,
10.9 mmol) in anhydrous THF (25 ml) at 0°C was added
pyrazinecarbonyl chloride, 3, concentrate. The reaction mixture was
stirred for 5 hours at RT, quenched with water (20 ml), and extracted
with ethyl acetate. The combined organic phases were dried over
anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated under reduced pressure.
The residue was purified by column chromatography on silica gel,
eluting with hexane: ethyl acetate gradient (up to 20%) to give
methyl (S)-(+)-2-(benzyloxycarbonylamino)-3-(pyrazinecarbonyloxy)
propionate (4), methyl (S)-(+)-2-(benzyloxycarbonylamino)-3-
(formyloxy)-propionoate (5), and methyl (R)-(+)-2-(benzyloxy-
carbonylamino)-3-chloropropionoate (6).
Methyl (S)-(+)-2-(benzyloxycarbonylamino)-3-(pyrazinecarbonyl-
oxy)propionate (4): Yield: 34%, as a colourless oil. 1H NMR
(400 MHz, DMSO-d6) d: 9.22 (d; J = 1.0; 1H; H3); 8.90 (d; J = 2.0;
1H; H6); 8.83 (dd; J = 2.0 and 1.0; 1H; H5); 8.12 (d; J = 7.5; 1H;
NH); 7.32 (m; 5H; Ph); 5.06 (s; 2H; CH2Ph); 4.66 (m; 2H; CH'OCO
and CH); 4.58 (dd; J = 12.5 and 4.5; 1H; CHOCO); 3.69 (s; 3H;
CH3). 13C NMR (100 MHz; DMSO-d6) d: 169.8; 163.0; 156.1; 148.2;
145.9; 144.9; 142.7; 136.7; 128.4; 127.9; 127.8; 65.8; 64.3; 52.9 52.4.
IR (cm-1; KBr): 1760 (C(O)OCH3); 1725 (C(O)OR; 1690 (C(O)NR).
[a]D30: + 38.7 (c = 1.0, CHCl3). HRMS-ESI (m/z): [M + Na]+ calcd
for C17H17N3O6·Na+, 382.1015; found, 382.0982.
Biological activity
The anti-mycobacterial activities of the compounds were
assessed against M. tuberculosis ATTC 27294 using the micro
plate Alamar Blue assay (MABA).17 The results are listed in
Table 1. Compounds 8 and 6 exhibited a MIC (mg/ml) value
of 50 and 100, respectively, which can be compared with the
MIC value of 100 for the first line TB drug, pyrazinamide.
Experimental
General
Melting points were determined on a Buchi apparatus and are
uncorrected. IR spectra were determined using a Thermo Nicolet
Nexus 670 spectrometer in potassium bromide discs. Mass spectra
recorded on a Q-TOF mass spectrometer Typical ESI-MS (Micromass,
Manchester, UK); NMR spectra were obtained at room temperature
with a Bruker Avance 500 spectrometer operating at 500.00 MHz
(1H) and 125.0 MHz (13C), in DMSO-d6 solutions. Optical rotation
was measured with a Polartronic NH8 polarimeter at ~25°C.
Thin layer chromatography was carried out on silica gel plates, using
ethyl acetate/methanol mixtures as eluents, with products detected by
UV light. For column chromatographic purification, column grade
silica gel 60 (0.063–0.200 mm mesh size) was employed.
Methyl
(S)-(+)-2-(benzyloxycarbonylamino)-3-(formyloxy)-
Synthesis
l-Serine methyl ester hydrochloride salt (1): To a stirred solution of
thionyl chloride (69.5 ml, 0.95 mol) in methanol (400 ml) at 0°C was
added l-serine (20 g, 0.19 mol). The reaction mixture was stirred
for 24 h at room temperature, the solvent removed to give l-serine
methyl ester hydrochloride salt, 1 (147.2 g) in quantitative yield. m.p.
163.1°C (Lit.: 163°C26). 1H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d6) d: 8.60
(s, 3H, H3N+), 5.64 (s, 1H, OH), 4.08 (t, J = 4 Hz, 1H, CH), 3.82
(d, J = 4 Hz, 2H, CH2), 3.73 (s, 3H, CH3).13C NMR (100 MHz,
DMSO-d6) d: 168.5, 59.5, 54.4, 52.8.IR (cm-1; KBr): 3362 (O-H);
1743 (CO2Me).
propionoate (5): Yield: 17%, as a colourless oil. 1H NMR (400 MHz,
DMSO-d6) d: 8.21 (s; 1H; OCOH); 7.97 (d; J = 8; 1H; NH); 7.34
(m; 5H; Ph); 5.06 (s; 2H; CH2Ph); 4.46 (m; 2H; CH'OCOH and CH);
4.26 (dd; J = 11.2 and 6.4; 1H; CHOCOH); 3.67(s; 3H; CH3). 13C
NMR (100 MHz; DMSO-d6) d: 170.3; 162.2; 156.6; 137.0; 128.9;
128.4; 128.1; 66.3; 62.6; 53.3; 52.8. IR (cm-1; KBr): 1750 (C(O)H);
1719 (C(O)OCH3); 1692 (C(O)NR). [a]D30: + 10.0 (c = 1.0, CHCl3).
HRMS-ESI (m/z): [M + Na]+ calcd for C13H15NO6· Na+, 304.0797;
found, 304.0790.
Methyl (R)-(+)-2-(benzyloxycarbonylamino)-3-chloropropionoate
(6): Yield: 15%. m.p. 53.0°C. 1H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d6) d: 7.98
(d; J = 8; 1H; NH); 7.33 (m; 5H; Ph); 5.07 (s; 2H; CH2Ph); 4.49
(m, 1H; CH); 3.90 (dd; J = 11.5 and 4.5; 1H; CH'Cl); 3.83 (dd;
J = 11.5 and 7.5; 1H; CHCl); 3.36 (s; 3H; CH3). 13C NMR (100 MHz;
DMSO-d6) d: 169.9; 156.4; 137.0; 128.7; 128.3; 128.0; 66.1; 55.6;
52.8; 44.1. IR (cm-1; KBr): 1746 (C(O)OCH3); 1686 (C(O)NR).
[a]D30: + 39.3 (c = 1.0, CHCl3). HRMS-ESI: [M + Na]+ calcd for
C12H14ClNO4·Na+, 294.0509; found, 294.0520.
Methyl (S)-(+)-2-(benzyloxycarbonylamino)-3-hydroxypropanoate
(2): To
a reaction mixture containing l-serine methyl ester
hydrochloride salt (1), (13.2 g, 0.11 mol), water (100 ml), diethyl
ether (75 ml) and sodium bicarbonate (48 g, 0.55 mol) at 0°C was
added dropwise benzyl chloroformate (21 ml, 0.15 mol). After 2 h
at 0°C and 1 hour at room temperature, the reaction was quenched
with pyridine, and water was added to solubilise all salts. The organic
layer was washed with HCl (2.5N), dried ( MgSO4), filtered and
concentrated. The residue was chromatographed (10%→30% EtOAc/
hexanes) affording 2 as a colourless oil (22.4 g, 80% yield. 1H NMR
(400 MHz, CDCl3) d: 7.32 (m, 5H, Ph), 5.71(s, 1H, NH), 5.13 (s, 2H,
CH2Ph), 4.45 (m, 1H, CH), 4.00 (dd, J = 11.2 and 3.0, 1H, CH'OH),
3.92 (dd, J = 11.2 and 3.0, 1H, CHOH), 3.78 (s, 3H, CH3). 13C NMR
(100 MHz, CDCl3) d: 171.8, 157.0, 136.7, 129.2, 128.9, 128.7, 67.8,
63.7, 56.7, 53.3. IR (cm-1, KBr): 3358 (O-H), 1778 (CO2Me), 1653
(CONR). GC/MS: m/z [M]+: 253. [a]D30: + 10.0 (c = 1.0, CHCl3)
Reaction between pyrazinecarbonyl chloride (3), and l-serine
methyl ester hydrochloride salt (1). Formation of methyl (S)-(+)-3-
hydroxy-2-[(pyrazinecarbonyl)amino]propionoate (7), and methyl 2-
[(pyrazinecarbonyl)-amino]acrylate (8)
Pyrazinecarbonyl chloride (3), was prepared from pyrazinecarboxylic
acid (1 g, 8.06 mmol), thionyl chloride (2.4 ml, 32.24 mmol) and
DMF (0.06 ml, 0.81 mmol) in dichloromethane (30 ml) at room
temperature.
To the stirred solution of l-serine methyl ester hydrochloride salt
(1)(860 mg, 7.25 mmol) and triethylamine (1.5 ml, 10.9 mmol) in
anhydrous THF (25 ml) at 0°C was added pyrazinecarbonyl chloride
(3) concentrate from above. The reaction mixture was stirred for
5 h at RT, quenched with water (20 ml), and extracted with ethyl
acetate. The combined organic phases were dried over anhydrous
sodium sulfate and concentrated under reduced pressure. The residue
was purified by column chromatography on silica gel, eluting with
hexane: ethyl acetate gradient (up to 20%) to give 7 and 8 in 35 and
30% yields, respectively.
Table 1 The in vitro activity of compounds against M.
tuberculosis H37Rv strain (ATCC 27294, susceptible both to
rifampin and isoniazid)
Compound
MIC (mg/ml)
2
Resistant
Resistant
Resistant
100
Resistant
50
4
5
6
7
8
Methyl (S)-(+)-3-hydroxy-2-[(pyrazinecarbonyl)amino]propionoate
(7): Yield: 35%, as a colourless oil. H NMR (500 MHz, CDCl3)
d: 9.38 (s; 1H; H3); 8.78 (d; J = 2; 1H; H5 or H6); 8.62 (d; J = 7.5;
9
Resistant
100
1
Pyrazinamide
PAPER: 07/4408