Facile stereoselective synthesis of γ-substituted γ-amino acids from the corresponding α-amino acids

Abstract

A facile stereoselective method for the synthesis of γ-substituted, γ-amino acids from α-amino acids was developed. The key step of the procedure is complete reduction of the keto functionality of α-amino acyl Meldrum's acid by sodium acetoxyborohydride. The resulting amino alkyl Meldrum's acid undergoes thermal decarboxylative ring closure to a 5-substituted pyrrolidinone which yields the corresponding γ-amino acid after basic hydrolysis. The overall yield of the procedure ranges from 40 to 65%.