Racemization of Optically Active Aromatic N-Acetylamino Acids and Asymmetric Transformation of N-Acetyl-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)glycine via Salt Formation with Optically Active α-Methylbenzylamine

Abstract

Abstract The racemization rates of N-acetyl-(S)-tyrosine, N-acetyl-(S)-phenylalanine, N-acetyl-(R)-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)glycine [(R)-AcHpg], N-acetyl-(R)-2-phenylglycine, and N-acetyl-(S)-alanine were measured by use of (RS)-α-methylbenzylamine [(RS)-MBA] as a base-catalyst. The first-order rate constant for racemization tended to increase with an increase in the polar substituent constant of the N-acetylamino acid side chain. The racemization appeared to be subject to the inductive effect by the side chain. An asymmetric transformation of (RS)-AcHpg by using (R)-MBA, based on the result of racemization, gave an optically pure salt of (R)-AcHpg with (R)-MBA by successive use of the filtrate as the solvent. Optically pure (R)-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)glycine [(R)-Hpg] was separated from the salt in 87–90% yield based on the starting (RS)-AcHpg. In addition, the asymmetric transformation of (R)-AcHpg was achieved by using (S)-MBA to give optically pure (S)-Hpg in 80% yield after purification of the salt of (S)-AcHpg with (S)-MBA followed by hydrolysis.