Stereoselective Synthesis of 1-Aminocyclopropanecarboxylic Acid Carnosadines via Inter-intramolecular Double Alkylation with Optically Active 2-Methylaziridine Derivatives.

The stereoselective and short-step synthesis of N-protected allo-carnosadine, ent-carnosadine, and carnosadine lactam was accomplished from a common cyclopropane intermediate. The inter-intramolecular double alkylation of diethyl malonate with an optically active 2-methylaziridine derivative gave the key cyclopropane in excellent yield and optical purity. The following monohydrolysis of the diester moiety using different reaction conditions provided both diastereomers of monoacids, which were converted to three carnosadine derivatives in 5-6 steps from the common diester.

Gold-Catalyzed Amide/Carbamate-Linked N,O-Acetal Formation with Bulky Amides and Alcohols.

A gold-catalyzed N,O-acetal formation was established to construct an amide/carbamate-linked N,O-acetal substructure with bulky alcohols. The acyliminium cation species generated from o-alkynylbenzoic acid ester in the presence of a gold catalyst is highly reactive and underwent nucleophilic attack of various bulky alcohols and phenols at room temperature under neutral conditions, leading to the corresponding N,O-acetals in yields of 34-89% with good functional group tolerance.