10.1016/S0957-4166(97)00178-X
The research investigates the catalytic enantioselective addition of hydrogen cyanide to benzaldehyde and p-methoxybenzaldehyde using cyclo-dipeptides based on His and the unnatural (αMe)Phe as catalysts. The LL dipeptide, specifically cyclo-[L-His-L-(αMe)Phe] (15), is a key catalyst in the study. It is a cyclic dipeptide composed of L-histidine (His) and L-(α-methyl)phenylalanine ((αMe)Phe). This compound is synthesized through a series of chemical reactions starting from L-(αMe)Phe and L-histidine, involving protection, coupling, and cyclization steps. The LL dipeptide 15 is notable for its conformational rigidity, which is attributed to the incorporation of the unnatural (αMe)Phe residue. This rigidity is crucial for its catalytic activity in the enantioselective addition of hydrogen cyanide to benzaldehyde and p-methoxybenzaldehyde. The study demonstrates that 15 achieves high enantiomeric excesses (up to 99% e.e. for benzaldehyde and 89% e.e. for p-methoxybenzaldehyde derivatives) at low temperatures (-40°C) with excellent yields (98% and 93%, respectively). NMR studies suggest that the orientation of the aldehyde in the reaction complex with 15 is different from the Tanaka model, with the aldehyde hydrogen-bonded to the NH of the (αMe)Phe residue rather than the histidine residue.