Scalable Synthesis of All Stereoisomers of 2-Aminocyclopentanecarboxylic Acid─A Toolbox for Peptide Foldamer Chemistry.

Although the construction of peptides with well-defined three-dimensional structures and predictable functions, including biological activity, using conformationally constrained ß-amino acids has been shown to be a very successful strategy, their broad application is limited by access to the appropriate building blocks. In particular, trans- and cis-stereoisomers of 2-aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acid (ACPC) are of high interest. The scalable synthesis of all four stereoisomers of Fmoc derivatives of ACPC is presented with NMR-based analysis methods for their enantiomeric purity.

Resolution by diastereomeric salts: Access to both enantiomers of racemic acid using the same enantiomer of resolving base.

Racemic carboxylic acid, a Diels-Alder cycloadduct derived from 5-bromo-3-phenyl-α-pyrone and acrylate dienophile, was resolved into enantiomers by diastereomeric salt crystallization. Quinidine was used as a sole resolving base. The salt of (+)-acid crystallized from aqueous acetonitrile solution. Once this salt was separated by filtration, quinidine salt with (-)-acid crystallized from mother liquor. As a result, both enantiomers of Diels-Alder cycloadduct were isolated in high enantiomeric purity.

Practical method for increasing optical purity of cis-verbenol.

R/S mixture of monoterpene alcohol cis-verbenol can be separated in preparative scale by its conversion into phthalic mono-ester and subsequent crystallization of its diastereomeric salts with (R)-α-methylbenzylamine and (S)-α-methylbenzylamine. Finally, basic methanolysis of the resolved phthalic mono-esters results (S)-cis-verbenol and (R)-cis-verbenol in high enantiomeric and diastereomeric purity.

A simple method for resolution of endo-/exo-monoesters of trans-norborn-5-ene-2,3-dicarboxylic acids into their enantiomers.

Separation of optical isomers obtainable from trans-norborn-5-ene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid methyl and tert-butyl monoesters was performed by crystallization of the respective salts prepared with (R)- and (S)-1-phenylethylamine. Starting from racemic endo-monomethyl ester of trans-norborn-5-ene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid, prepared by partial hydrolysis of the cyclopentadiene-dimethyl fumarate adduct, the corresponding (2R,3R)-endo-monoester was isolated in 97% enantiomeric excess (ee) yield after seven repeated crystallizations from tetrachloromethane. Starting from exo-mono-tert-butyl ester of the same acid, prepared by alcoholysis of the cyclopentadiene-maleic anhydride adduct followed by isomerization, (2R,3R)-exo-monoester was isolated in >98% ee yield after four repeated crystallizations from ethanol. Crystallization of the acids from the mother liquor containing (S)-1-phenylethylamine yielded products with inverse stereochemical configuration.