Selectivity In Aldol Reactions Research Articles

High-Throughput Screening Method for Directed Evolution and Characterization of Aldol Activity of D-Threonine Aldolase.

A rapid and reliable method for the determination of aldol condensation activity of threonine aldolases (TAs) toward aldehydes and glycine was developed. This 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) method has high sensitivity and low background disturbance and can be spectrophotometrically measured for high-throughput screening and characterization of TAs. For 4-methylsulfonyl benzaldehyde (MSB), the maximum absorbance peak was observed at around 485nm. Site-directed saturation mutagenesis libraries of D-threonine aldolase from Alcaligenes xylosoxidans CGMCC 1.4257 (AxDTA) was constructed and screened with this DNPH method for increased aldol activity toward MSB. Two beneficial variants AxDTAD321C and AxDTAN101G were identified. Substrate specificity of AxDTA and variants toward nineteen aldehydes with different substituents was facilely characterized employing this DNPH method. Furthermore, AxDTA variants displayed enhanced catalytic performance and selectivity in aldol reaction. Consequently, our study provides a rapid screening and characterization method for TAs with potential applications in preparation of chiral β-hydroxy-α-amino acids.

Catalysts Confined in Programmed Framework Pores Enable New Transformations and Tune Reaction Efficiency and Selectivity.

Controlling chemical reactions in porous heterogeneous catalysts is a tremendous challenge because of the difficulty in producing uniform active sites that can be tuned with precision. However, analogous to enzymes, when a catalytic pocket provides complementary close contacts and favorable intermolecular interactions with the reaction participants, the reaction efficiency and selectivity may be tuned. Here, we report an isoreticular family of catalysts based on the multicomponent metal-organic framework MUF-77. The microenvironment around the site of catalysis was successfully programmed by introducing functional groups (modulators) to the organic linkers at sites remote from the catalytic unit. The framework catalysts produced in this way exhibit several unique features, including the simultaneous enhancement of both reactivity and stereochemical selectivity in aldol reactions, the ability to catalyze Henry reactions that cannot be accomplished by homogeneous analogs, and discrimination between different reaction pathways (Henry versus aldol) that compete for a common substrate.

ChemInform Abstract: Acyclic Stereoselection. Part 35. Effect of Cation on Diastereofacial Selectivity in Aldol Reactions of a Chiral α‐Silyloxy Ketone.

AbstractAus dem Keton (I) entstehen die Silylenolether (IV) und (V).

Acyclic stereoselection. 35. Effect of cation on diastereofacial selectivity in aldol reactions of a chiral α-silyloxy ketone.

By an appropriate choice of cation, three of the four possible aldols from the reactions of the chiral α-silyloxy ketone 1 with aldehydes may be obtained. The Z , lithium enolate provides 6, the Z , boron enolate gives 7, and the E magnesium enolate affords 8.