Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of All Four Cytoxazone Stereoisomers

Abstract

Racemic cytoxazone (±-5) was synthesized starting from easily available glycidic ester (±)-1 by nucleophilic epoxide ring opening, followed by 2-oxazolidinone ring construction and calcium chloride/sodium borohydride reduction of the intermediary ester (±)-4. Kinetic resolution of (±)-5 performed by acetylation with vinyl acetate catalyzed by Penicillium camemberti lipase (PcamL) afforded, on hydrolysis of acetate (-)-6, cytoxazone (-)-5 in 33% overall yield and 88.2% enantiomeric excess (ee), and its enantiomer (+)-5 (38% yield, 89.3% ee). Base-catalyzed epimerization of intermediary (±)-4 to (±)-7, and reduction and kinetic resolution with Candida antarctica lipase (CAL) led to epi-cytoxazones (-)-8 and (+)-8.