Low Enantioselectivity Research Articles

Synthesis, Crystal Structure of Chiral Ferrocenyl Amino Alcohols, and Its Use for Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation

Two chiral ferrocenyl amino alcohols (IIIa and IIIb) have been synthesized for the iridium catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of aromatic ketones. The structures of two chiral ferrocenyl amino alcohols have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction (CIF files CCDC nos. 1056737 (IIIa) and 1056734 (IIIb)). The results show that the activity and enantioselectivity of the chiral iridium catalyst are very sensitive to the substrate structure. Ir(I)-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of acetophenone resulted in moderate to good yield and lower enantioselectivity; asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of proopiophenone and 2-benzoylpyridine resulted in lower yield and lower enantioselectivity; as for 4-benzoylpyridine, good results have been achieved.

Chiral recognition of the carnitine enantiomers using rhodamine B as a resonance Rayleigh scattering probe.

A novel and simple method for simultaneous determination of chiral carnitine (CA) enantiomers was proposed. In this work, the rhodamine B (RhB) could react with D-CA and L-CA, and new resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) peaks were generated. According to the polarization experiments, it could be testified that scattering peak of this system was composed of resonance fluorescence and scattering light. The RRS intensity of the RhB could be enhanced with the addition of D- or L-CA. However, The RRS signal with L-CA had greater degree increased. So a useful assay program for the selective and simultaneous determination of CA enantiomers was built via the RRS signal differences of the two CA enantiomers responding to RhB. The results showing a good linear relationship and high correlation coefficient were obtained, and the detection limit was calculated as 0.086μg·mL-1 (D-CA) and 0.042μg·mL-1 (CA). Here, new built RRS method with RhB as chiral probe could be applied to achieve selective analysis through this work. The applicability of the chiral recognition of CA enantiomers mixtures in samples had been demonstrated by its low cost, sensitivity, enantioselectivity, simplicity, and good availability of the materials.

Significant porosity effects in carbon based SILP chiral catalysts

The immobilization of the chiral complex RhDuphos onto different carbon materials using the SILP methodology (Supported Ionic Liquid Phase) has been investigated with the double purpose of preserving the steric configuration of the Rh complex and of increasing, respect to conventional biphasic systems, the interphase between the ionic liquid and the substrates. The prepared SILP catalysts have been tested in the liquid-phase hydrogenation of methyl 2-acetamidoacrylate (MAA) at room temperature and 5.5 bar H2, using water as solvent. All catalysts showed high activity, although low enantioselectivity was observed for the SILP catalysts with the smaller amount of ionic liquid loaded. Upon increased IL loading, higher ee values were obtained. Ionic liquid leaching from the SILP catalyst was observed while the Rh loss was low in all cases. The textural properties of the carbon materials used as support have shown a very significant influence in the catalytic properties of the SILP catalysts, being more interesting supports with mesoporosity.

Enantioselective Synthesis of Trisubstituted Allenyl-B(pin) Compounds by Phosphine-Cu-Catalyzed 1,3-Enyne Hydroboration. Insights Regarding Stereochemical Integrity of Cu-Allenyl Intermediates.

Catalytic enantioselective boron-hydride additions to 1,3-enynes, which afford allenyl-B(pin) (pin = pinacolato) products, are disclosed. Transformations are promoted by a readily accessible bis-phosphine-Cu complex and involve commercially available HB(pin). The method is applicable to aryl- and alkyl-substituted 1,3-enynes. Trisubstituted allenyl-B(pin) products were generated in 52-80% yield and, in most cases, in >98:2 allenyl:propargyl and 92:8-99:1 enantiomeric ratio. Utility is highlighted through a highly diastereoselective addition to an aldehyde, and a stereospecific catalytic cross-coupling process that delivers an enantiomerically enriched allene with three carbon-based substituents. The following key mechanistic attributes are elucidated: (1) Spectroscopic and computational investigations indicate that low enantioselectivity can arise from loss of kinetic stereoselectivity, which, as suggested by experimental evidence, may occur by formation of a propargylic anion generated by heterolytic Cu-C cleavage. This is particularly a problem when trapping of the Cu-allenyl intermediate is slow, namely, when an electron deficient 1,3-enyne or a less reactive boron-hydride reagent (e.g., HB(dan) (dan = naphthalene-1,8-diaminato)) is used or under non-optimal conditions (e.g., lower boron-hydride concentration causing slower trapping). (2) With enynes that contain a sterically demanding o-aryl substituent considerable amounts of the propargyl-B(pin) isomer may be generated (25-96%) because a less sterically demanding transition state for Cu/B exchange becomes favorable. (3) The phosphine ligand can promote isomerization of the enantiomerically enriched allenyl-B(pin) product; accordingly, lower ligand loading might at times be optimal. (4) Catalytic cross-coupling with an enantiomerically enriched allenyl-B(pin) compound might proceed with high stereospecificity (e.g., phosphine-Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling) or lead to considerable racemization (e.g., phosphine-Cu-catalyzed allylic substitution).

Preparation, Characterization and Reactivity of a Bis-hypochlorite Adduct of a Chiral Manganese(IV) Salen Complex.

A bis-hypochlorite adduct of a manganese(IV) salen complex having a chiral (R,R)-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine linkage (2-tBu) is successfully prepared and characterized by various spectroscopic methods. The reactions of 2-tBu with various organic substrates show that 2-tBu is capable of sulfoxidation, epoxidation, chlorination, and hydrogen abstraction reactions. However, the enantioselectivity of the epoxidation reactions by 2-tBu is much lower than that reported for the catalytic reactions by Jacobsen's catalyst. The low enantioselectivity is consistent with a planar conformation of the salen ligand, which is suggested by circular dichroism spectroscopy. This study suggests that 2-tBu is not a reactive intermediate of Jacobsen's enantioselective epoxidation catalysis.

Synthesis of an Enantiomerically Pure Inherently Chiral Calix[4]Arene Phosphonic Acid and Its Evaluation as an Organocatalyst.

A facile method for the preparation of enantiomerically pure inherently chiral calix[4]arene phosphonic acid (cR,pR)-7 in four steps starting from the readily available and previously synthesized (cS)-enantiomer of calix[4]arene acetic acid 1 or its methyl ester 2 was developed. The first tests of this unique calixarene Brönsted acid with inherent chirality in organocatalysis of the aza-Diels-Alder reaction of imines with Danishefsky's diene and epoxide ring opening by benzoic acid were performed. The calixarene phosphonic acid (cR,pR)-7 shows good catalytic activities but with low enantioselectivities in these reactions.

Chiral Bifunctional Phosphine‐Carboxylate Ligands for Palladium(0)‐Catalyzed Enantioselective C−H Arylation

AbstractPrevious enantioselective Pd0‐catalyzed C−H activation reactions proceeding via the concerted metalation‐deprotonation mechanism employed either a chiral ancillary ligand, a chiral base, or a bimolecular mixture thereof. This study describes the development of new chiral bifunctional ligands based on a binaphthyl scaffold which incorporates both a phosphine and a carboxylic acid moiety. The optimal ligand provided high yields and enantioselectivities for a desymmetrizing C(sp2)−H arylation leading to 5,6‐dihydrophenanthridines, whereas the corresponding monofunctional ligands showed low enantioselectivities. The bifunctional system proved applicable to a range of substituted dihydrophenanthridines, and allowed the parallel kinetic resolution of racemic substrates.

Chiral Bifunctional Phosphine‐Carboxylate Ligands for Palladium(0)‐Catalyzed Enantioselective C−H Arylation

Previous enantioselective Pd0 -catalyzed C-H activation reactions proceeding via the concerted metalation-deprotonation mechanism employed either a chiral ancillary ligand, a chiral base, or a bimolecular mixture thereof. This study describes the development of new chiral bifunctional ligands based on a binaphthyl scaffold which incorporates both a phosphine and a carboxylic acid moiety. The optimal ligand provided high yields and enantioselectivities for a desymmetrizing C(sp2 )-H arylation leading to 5,6-dihydrophenanthridines, whereas the corresponding monofunctional ligands showed low enantioselectivities. The bifunctional system proved applicable to a range of substituted dihydrophenanthridines, and allowed the parallel kinetic resolution of racemic substrates.

Amino Aldehydes Revisited

The enzymatic oxidation of amino alcohols was studied to address the long‐standing problem of product stability. Amino aldehydes, highly sought and unstable compounds, can be generated under mild conditions if they are immediately protected. Utilizing a range of alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) and semicarbazide as a scavenger, the enantioselective synthesis of protected amino aldehydes is possible. Glycerol dehydrogenase from Gluconobacter oxydans (GoGDH) displayed excellent enantioselectivity but limited substrate scope, whereas horse liver ADH catalyzed a broad range of conversions with low enantioselectivities.

Halohydrin dehalogenase-catalysed transformations of epifluorohydrin

Biocatalytic ring-opening of epifluorohydrin has been performed by using halohydrin dehalogenase. The enzyme from Mycobacterium sp. GP1 (HheB2) catalysed reaction with high regioselectivity and low enantioselectivity in the presence of different nucleophiles, producing racemic 1-substituted 3-fluoro-2-propanols. No by-products resulting from the ring-closure reaction have been detected, confirming that vicinal fluoro alcohols are not substrates for HHDH. Four different 3-fluoro-2-propanols were prepared under mild reaction conditions starting from epifluorohydrin. High conversions of 85–100% were reached within 1–3 h and depending on the nucleophile used products were isolated in 31–92% yields.

Chiral Hypervalent Organoiodine-Catalyzed Enantioselective Oxidative Spirolactonization of Naphthol Derivatives.

Highly enantioselective oxidative dearomatization of 2-naphthol derivatives was achieved for the first time by using conformationally flexible organoiodine catalysts derived from 2-aminoalcohol as a chiral source. Moreover, with the use of these catalysts, excellent enantioselectivities were also achieved for 1-naphthol derivatives, which had previously been obtained with only lower enantioselectivities. Furthermore, the product obtained from the present reaction could be transformed to a highly functionalized spirolactone in high yield and with excellent stereoselectivity.

Boosting Chemical Stability, Catalytic Activity, and Enantioselectivity of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Batch and Flow Reactions.

A key challenge in heterogeneous catalysis is the design and synthesis of heterogeneous catalysts featuring high catalytic activity, selectivity, and recyclability. Here we demonstrate that high-performance heterogeneous asymmetric catalysts can be engineered from a metal-organic framework (MOF) platform by using a ligand design strategy. Three porous chiral MOFs with the framework formula [Mn2L(H2O)2] are prepared from enantiopure phosphono-carboxylate ligands of 1,1'-biphenol that are functionalized with 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)-, bismethyl-, and bisfluoro-phenyl substituents at the 3,3'-position. For the first time, we show that not only chemical stability but also catalytic activity and stereoselectivity of the MOFs can be tuned by modifying the ligand structures. Particularly, the MOF incorporated with -CF3 groups on the pore walls exhibits enhanced tolerance to water, weak acid, and base compared with the MOFs with -F and -Me groups. Under both batch and flow reaction systems, the CF3-containing MOF demonstrated excellent reactivity, selectivity, and recyclability, affording high yields and enantioselectivities for alkylations of indoles and pyrrole with a range of ketoesters or nitroalkenes. In contrast, the corresponding homogeneous catalysts gave low enantioselectivity in catalyzing the tested reactions.

Two‐Enzyme Hydrogen‐Borrowing Amination of Alcohols Enabled by a Cofactor‐Switched Alcohol Dehydrogenase

AbstractThe NADPH‐dependent secondary alcohol dehydrogenase from Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus (TeSADH), displaying broad substrate specificity and low enantioselectivity, was engineered to accept NADH as a cofactor. The engineered TeSADH showed a >10 000‐fold switch from NADPH towards NADH compared to the wildtype enzyme. This TeSADH variant was applied to a biocatalytic hydrogen‐borrowing system that employed catalytic amounts of NAD+, ammonia, and an amine dehydrogenase, which thereby enabled the conversion a range of alcohols into chiral amines.

Chiral Oxazolidine‐Fused N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes of Rhodium and Iridium and Their Utility in the Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of Ketones

The catalytic potential of new N‐heterocyclic carbene ligands, derived from a chiral fused bicyclic ring scaffold with restricted rotation along the C–N bond bearing the chiral auxiliary, has been explored in the transition‐metal‐mediated asymmetric transfer hydrogenation reactions of ketones. In particular, the chiral oxazolidine‐fused N‐heterocyclic carbene precursors (3S)‐3‐R‐6‐methyl‐7‐phenyl‐2,3‐dihydroimidazo[5,1‐b]oxazol‐6‐ium iodide [R = sec‐butyl (1f), i‐butyl (2f), isopropyl (3f)] were synthesized from commercially available optically pure amino acids in a multistep sequence that avoids tedious chiral resolution. The reactions of the chiral imidazolium iodide salts 1f–3f with Ag2O yielded the corresponding silver complexes 1g–3g, which were treated with [(COD)MCl]2 (M = Rh, Ir; COD = 1,5‐cyclooctadiene) to afford the rhodium(I) and iridium(I) complexes (1h–3h and 1i–3i, respectively). The rhodium(I) and iridium(I) complexes conveniently catalyze the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of acetophenones for a wide variety of substrates ranging from electron‐rich ones such as 4‐methylacetophenone, 3,4‐dimethylacetophenone, 4‐tert‐butylacetophenone, and 4‐(methylthio)acetophenone to electron‐deficient ones such as 4‐bromoacetophenone, 4‐chloroacetophenone, 4‐fluoroacetophenone, 4‐nitroacetophenone, and 3‐fluoroacetophenone in moderate‐to‐good yields (ca. 18–95 %) but with low enantioselectivities (ca. 4–41 % ee).

Broad Scope Synthesis of Ester Precursors of Nonfunctionalized Chiral Alcohols Based on the Asymmetric Hydrogenation of α,β-Dialkyl-, α,β-Diaryl-, and α-Alkyl-β-aryl-vinyl Esters.

The catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of trisubstituted enol esters using Rh catalysts bearing chiral phosphine-phosphite ligands (P-OP) has been studied. Substrates covered comprise α,β-dialkyl, α-alkyl-β-aryl, and α,β-diarylvinyl esters, the corresponding hydrogenation products being suitable precursors to prepare synthetically relevant chiral nonfunctionalized alcohols. A comparison of reactivity indicates that it decreases in the order: α,β-dialkyl > α-alkyl-β-aryl > α,β-diaryl. Based on the highly modular structure of P-OP ligands employed, catalyst screening identified highly enantioselective catalysts for α,β-dialkyl (95-99% ee) and nearly all of α-alkyl-β-aryl substrates (92-98% ee), with the exception of α-cyclohexyl-β-phenylvinyl acetate which exhibited a low enantioselectivity (47% ee). Finally, α,β-diarylvinyl substrates showed somewhat lower enantioselectivities (79-92% ee). In addition, some of the catalysts provided a high enantioselectivity in the hydrogenation of E/Z mixtures (ca. Z/E = 75:25) of α,β-dialkylvinyl substrates, while a dramatic decrease on enantioselectivity was observed in the case of α-methyl-β-anisylvinyl acetate (Z/E = 58:42). Complementary deuteration reactions are in accord with a highly enantioselective hydrogenation for both olefin isomers in the case of α,β-dialkylvinyl esters. In contrast, deuteration shows a complex behavior for α-methyl-β-anisylvinyl acetate derived from the participation of the E isomer in the reaction.

Cinchonine-catalyzed in situ generation of unstable and gaseous trifluoroacetaldehyde from its hemiacetal and direct aldol reaction with 2-methoxy-1-phenylethanone

The cinchonine-catalyzed in situ generation of unstable and gaseous trifluoroacetaldehyde from its hemiacetal and successive direct aldol reaction with 2-methoxy-1-phenylethanone proceeded smoothly to give 4,4,4-trifluoro-3-hydroxy-2-methoxy-1-phenylbutan-1-one in good yield with low diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity.

Preliminary Evaluation of Glyceric Acid-producing Ability of Acidomonas methanolica NBRC104435 from Glycerol Containing Methanol.

Some acetic acid bacteria produce large amounts of glyceric acid (GA) from glycerol in culture broth. However, methanol, which is a major contaminant of raw glycerol derived from the biodiesel fuel industry, sharply decreases cell growth and GA production [AMB Express, 3, 20, 2013]. Thus, we evaluated the methylotrophic acetic acid bacterium Acidomonas methanolica NBRC104435 for its ability to produce GA from glycerol containing methanol. This strain accumulated GA in its culture broth when 1-3 wt% glycerol was available as a carbon source. We observed improved cell growth and GA accumulation when 1 vol% methanol was added to the 3-5 wt% glycerol medium. The maximum concentration of GA was 12.8 g/L in medium containing 3 wt% glycerol plus 1 vol% methanol. In addition, the enantiomeric excess (ee) of the GA produced was revealed to be 44%, indicating that this strain converted glycerol to d-GA with a lower enantioselectivity than other acetic acid bacteria, which had 70-99% ee.

Biocatalytic Synthesis of Flavonoid Esters by Lipases and Their Biological Benefits.

Several studies have described important biological activities of flavonoids such as coronary heart disease prevention, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities, enzyme inhibition activity, and antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities. Flavonoids show promising activity as natural plant-based antioxidants due to their antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties. However, their primary applications as antioxidants in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries are limited because of their moderately hydrophilic nature. Enzymatic acylation of natural polyphenols with fatty acids or other acyl donors has been suggested for improving the lipophilic nature of the glycosylated flavonoids. This approach increases flavonoid solubility and stability in lipophilic systems. Acylation of flavonoids with different acyl donors may also introduce beneficial properties to the molecule, such as penetration through the cell membrane and improved antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, cytogenetic, and enzyme inhibition activities. Chemical methods for the synthesis of flavonoid esters lead to the formation of side products and the simultaneous decomposition of the flavonoids due to harsh reaction conditions. In contrast, biocatalytic acylation of flavonoids by lipases offers advantages associated to the wide availability of these enzymes, their low cost, chemo-, regio-, and enantioselectivity, mild condition processing and non-requirement of cofactors. This article is focused on the recent development of lipase-catalyzed synthesis of flavonoid esters and the impact of the acylation reaction on their biological activities.

Crystal structure and characterization of esterase Est25 mutants reveal improved enantioselectivity toward (S)-ketoprofen ethyl ester

Esterases comprise a group of enzymes that catalyze the cleavage and synthesis of ester bonds. They are important in biotechnological applications owing to their enantioselectivity, regioselectivity, broad substrate specificity, and the fact that they do not require cofactors. In a previous study, we isolated the esterase Est25 from a metagenomic library. Est25 showed catalytic activity toward the (R,S)-ketoprofen ethyl ester but had low enantioselectivity toward the (S)-ketoprofen ethyl ester. Because (S)-ketoprofen has stronger anti-inflammatory effects and fewer side effects than (R)-ketoprofen, enantioselectivity of this esterase is important. In this study, we generated Est25 mutants with improved enantioselectivity toward the (S)-ketoprofen ethyl ester; improved enantioselectivity of mutants was established by analysis of their crystal structures. The enantioselectivity of mutants was influenced by substitution of Phe72 and Leu255. Substituting these residues changed the size of the binding pocket and the entrance hole that leads to the active site. The enantioselectivity of Est25 (E=1.1±0.0) was improved in the mutants F72G (E=1.9±0.2), L255W (E=16.1±1.1), and F72G/L255W (E=60.1±0.5). Finally, characterization of Est25 mutants was performed by determining the optimum reaction conditions, thermostability, effect of additives, and substrate specificity after substituting Phe72 and Leu255.

General screening and optimization strategy for fast chiral separations in modern supercritical fluid chromatography

High throughput general chiral screening method using supercritical fluid chromatography was developed. This method takes an advantage of very fast gradient screening (3 min + 1 min isocratic hold) and generic enantioselectivity of the combined additive formed by 0.1% trifluoroacetic (TFA) acid and 0.1% diethylamine (DEA). The TFA/DEA combined additive was systematically added to organic modifiers methanol and isopropanol. Among five tested polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases, amylose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) and cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) provided the best enantioseparation success rate. Therefore, the proposed initial first-line screening includes four experiments using these two stationary phases and the above mentioned two combinations: CO2/methanol and CO2/isopropanol + the combined additive. If these stationary phases fail in the screening step, cellulose tris(3-chloro-4-methylphenylcarbamate) and cellulose tris(3,5-dichlorophenylcarbamate) can be proposed for the screening in the second line.For further optimization in case of insufficient resolution obtained in the screening phase fine tuning of temperature, BPR pressure and gradient slope was tested with unsuccessful results. An improvement of enantioselectivity was obtained only when gradient elution was replaced by isocratic elution with substantially lower amount of organic modifier, when changing the concentration of the additive or when using combined organic modifier, such as methanol/acetonitrile (1:1). Finally, to enable the MS compatibility, also volatile additives including ammonium formate and ammonium acetate were tested. The results were more encouraging than expected. Volatile buffers thus make an interesting option in chiral SFC screening methods, however, at the cost of somewhat lower enantioselectivity.