Highly enantioselective catalytic asymmetric synthesis of a (R)-sibutramin precursor.

The first highly enantioselective, catalytic asymmetric synthesis of di-des-methylsibutramine 3 is described. Dienamide 10, prepared by acetic acid anhydride quenching of the condensation product of nitrile 4 with a methallyl magnesium chloride, proved to be an excellent substrate for ruthenium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation with atropisomeric diphosphine ligands. Hydrogenation with a ruthenium/(R)- MeOBiPheP catalyst at S/C = 500, gave the chiral amide (R)-9 in 98.5% ee in almost quantitative yield. After acidic amide hydrolysis the desired amine (R)-3 was obtained without erosion of enantioselectivity. It is anticipated that the overall process will be amenable to large-scale production.

Highly efficient asymmetric synthesis of sitagliptin.

A highly efficient synthesis of sitagliptin, a potent and selective DPP-4 inhibitor for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), has been developed. The key dehydrositagliptin intermediate 9 is prepared in three steps in one pot and directly isolated in 82% yield and >99.6 wt % purity. Highly enantioselective hydrogenation of dehydrositagliptin 9, with as low as 0.15 mol % of Rh(I)/(t)Bu JOSIPHOS, affords sitagliptin, which is finally isolated as its phosphate salt with nearly perfect optical and chemical purity. This environmentally friendly, 'green' synthesis significantly reduces the total waste generated per kilogram of sitagliptin produced in comparison with the first-generation route and completely eliminates aqueous waste streams. The efficiency of this cost-effective process, which has been implemented on manufacturing scale, results in up to 65% overall isolated yield.

Chemical optimization of artificial metalloenzymes based on the biotin-avidin technology: (S)-selective and solvent-tolerant hydrogenation catalysts via the introduction of chiral amino acid spacers.

Incorporation of biotinylated-[rhodium(diphosphine)]+ complexes, with enantiopure amino acid spacers, in streptavidin affords solvent-tolerant and selective artificial metalloenzymes: up to 91% ee (S) in the hydrogenation of N-protected dehydroamino acids.

New Homochiral Ligands Bearing Nonstereogenic Chirotopic Centers. Lithiated N,N'-Dialkylureas as Chiral Bases and Sterically Crowded Phosphines for Asymmetric Catalysis.

The synthesis of new homochiral pseudo-C(2)()-symmetrical ligands of type 1 bearing a nonstereogenic chirotopic center is reported. Two such structural units are combined in the ureas 2 and 10, which proved to be useful for enantioselective deprotonation and alkylation of ketones (up to 88% ee). The monophosphine 3 induced a high enantiomeric excess in the Pd-catalyzed allylation of dimethyl malonate (up to 73% ee). Furthermore, we have shown that the achiral sterically crowded alkyl diphosphine 23 efficiently stabilized Pd(0) at high temperatures.

New Chiral Ligands with Nonstereogenic Chirotopic Centers for Asymmetric Synthesis.

Pseudo-C2 -symmetrical ligands have been prepared efficiently: The attachment of the chiral alkyl group to the heteroatom (P or N) through a nonstereogenic, chirotopic carbon center facilitates their synthesis as the configuration at this carbon atom no longer needs to be controlled. Two such ligands were combined, for example, in the base 1, which is especially useful for asymmetric deprotonation of prochiral ketones [Eq. (a)].

Exploring stereogenic phosphorus: synthetic strategies for diphosphines containing bulky, highly symmetric substituents.

Diphosphine ligands bearing highly symmetric, bulky substituents at a stereogenic P atom were prepared, exploiting established protocols, which include the use of chiral synthons such as 3,4-dimethyl-2,5-diphenyl-1,3,2-oxazaphospholidine-2-borane (3a) and phenylmethylchlorophosphine borane (10) and the enantioselective deprotonation of dimethylarylphosphine boranes. However, only (Bu(t)())(Me)PCH(2)CH(2)P(Bu(t)Me (8a) could be prepared from 3a. The diphosphines (S,S)-1,2-bis(mesitylmethylphosphino)ethane, ((S,S)-8b) and (S,S)-1,2-bis(9-anthrylmethylphosphino)ethane ((S,S)-8c), which contain 2,6-disubstituted aryl P-substituents, were prepared by Evans' sparteine-assisted enantioselective deprotonation of P(Ar)(Me)(2)(BH(3)) (Ar = mesityl or 9-anthryl), but the enantioselectivity did not exceed 37% ee. The asymmetrically substituted, methylene-bridged diphosphine (2R,4R)-(Ph)(CH(3))PCH(2)P(Mes)(CH(3)) ((2R,4R)-12) (Mes = mesityl) was prepared by the newly developed stereospecific reaction of the enantiomerically pure chlorophosphine borane PCl(Ph)(Me)(BH(3)) (10) with the racemic, monolithiated dimethylmesitylphosphine borane P(Mes)(Me)(CH(2)Li)(BH(3)). Diastereomerically pure (2R,4R)-12 was obtained with 86% ee. The rhodium(I) derivatives [Rh(COD)(P-P)]BF(4) containing the diphosphine ligands 8a, 8b, and 12, as well as the previously reported (S,S)-1,2-bis(1-naphthylphenylphosphino)ethane ((S,S)-8d), were prepared and tested in the enantioselective catalytic hydrogenation of acetamidocinnamates. The best catalytic result (98.6% ee) was obtained with [Rh(COD)(8d)](+) as catalyst and methyl Z-alpha-acetamidocinnamate as substrate. Some of the catalytic results are discussed in terms of the preferred conformations of the substituents at phosphorus, as calculated by molecular modeling.

Highly efficient synthesis of beta-amino acid derivatives via asymmetric hydrogenation of unprotected enamines.

A direct asymmetric hydrogenation of unprotected enamino esters and amides is described. Catalyzed by Rh complexes with Josiphos-type chiral ligands, this method gives beta-amino esters and amides in high yield and high ee (93-97% ee). No acyl protection/deprotection is required.