Val‐Ala Dipeptide Isosteres by Hydrocyanation of α′‐Amino α,β‐Unsaturated Ketones − Control of Stereoselectivity by the N‐Protecting Group

Abstract

AbstractThree diastereoisomeric hydroxyethylene isosters of the Val‐Ala dipeptide were synthesized from α,β‐unsaturated ketones 1 derived from N‐Boc‐ and N,N‐dibenzyl‐L‐valine. The enones were hydrocyanated with diethylaluminum cyanide to give the corresponding β‐cyano ketones with the stereoselectivity depending on the protecting group. N‐Boc protected enone 1a gave a 1:1 mixture of anti and syn adducts 4a, 5a while the corresponding N,N‐dibenzyl compound 1c gave a 6:1 mixture of anti, syn adducts 4c, 5c. Borohydride reduction of the resulting cyano ketones is also controlled by the protecting group, resulting in opposite stereoselectivities for N‐Boc and N,N‐dibenzyl compounds. The cyano alcohols thus obtained were converted, in several steps, into two series of enantiomerically pure hydroxyethylene isosters of the Val‐Ala dipeptide. In the first series the hydroxy group and the N‐terminal of the isoster are internally protected through the formation of an oxazolidine; in the second series the hydroxy group and the C‐terminal are protected as lactone. Two oxazolidines (28, 29), corresponding to syn,syn and syn,anti 4‐hydroxy‐5‐amino acid isosters, and three lactones (23−25), corresponding to syn,syn, syn,anti, and anti,anti isosters were obtained by this approach. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003)