10.1016/j.tetasy.2014.04.008
The research focuses on the asymmetric synthesis of warfarin and its analogues using an environmentally friendly organocatalytic approach on water, without the need for organic co-solvents. The main experiment involves the asymmetric Michael addition of 4-hydroxycoumarin to a,b-unsaturated ketones, catalyzed by organic primary amines, with a particular emphasis on the use of enantiomerically pure (S,S)-diphenylethylenediamine. This catalyst was found to be effective in producing a series of pharmaceutically active compounds in good to excellent yields (73–98%) and with good enantioselectivities (up to 76% ee). The reactions were accelerated by ultrasound, and the protocol was scalable, leading to an efficient method for the 'solids on water' formation of the anticoagulant warfarin in both enantiomeric forms. The analyses used to assess the efficiency and selectivity of the reactions included HPLC analysis on a chiral phase to determine enantiomeric excess, as well as various spectroscopic techniques such as IR, NMR, and HRMS to characterize the synthesized compounds.