Enantiospecific Suzuki-Miyaura Coupling of Nonbenzylic α-(Acylamino)alkylboronic Acid Derivatives.

Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of nonbenzylic α-(acylamino)alkylboron compounds with aryl halides is established. A Pd/PCy2 Ph catalyst promotes the reaction efficiently at 145 °C. The reaction of enantioenriched α-(acylamino)alkylboron compounds affords chiral 1-arylalkylamides in high enantiospecificity and inversion of configuration.

Characterization of two members among the five ADP-forming acyl coenzyme A (Acyl-CoA) synthetases reveals the presence of a 2-(Imidazol-4-yl)acetyl-CoA synthetase in Thermococcus kodakarensis.

The genome of Thermococcus kodakarensis, along with those of most Thermococcus and Pyrococcus species, harbors five paralogous genes encoding putative α subunits of nucleoside diphosphate (NDP)-forming acyl coenzyme A (acyl-CoA) synthetases. The substrate specificities of the protein products for three of these paralogs have been clarified through studies on the individual enzymes from Pyrococcus furiosus and T. kodakarensis. Here we have examined the biochemical properties of the remaining two acyl-CoA synthetase proteins from T. kodakarensis. The TK0944 and TK2127 genes encoding the two α subunits were each coexpressed with the ß subunit-encoding TK0943 gene. In both cases, soluble proteins with an α2ß2 structure were obtained and their activities toward various acids in the ADP-forming reaction were examined. The purified TK0944/TK0943 protein (ACS IIITk) accommodated a broad range of acids that corresponded to those generated in the oxidative metabolism of Ala, Val, Leu, Ile, Met, Phe, and Cys. In contrast, the TK2127/TK0943 protein exhibited relevant levels of activity only toward 2-(imidazol-4-yl)acetate, a metabolite of His degradation, and was thus designated 2-(imidazol-4-yl)acetyl-CoA synthetase (ICSTk), a novel enzyme. Kinetic analyses were performed on both proteins with their respective substrates. In T. kodakarensis, we found that the addition of histidine to the medium led to increases in intracellular ADP-forming 2-(imidazol-4-yl)acetyl-CoA synthetase activity, and 2-(imidazol-4-yl)acetate was detected in the culture medium, suggesting that ICSTk participates in histidine catabolism. The results presented here, together with those of previous studies, have clarified the substrate specificities of all five known NDP-forming acyl-CoA synthetase proteins in the Thermococcales.

Inversion or retention? Effects of acidic additives on the stereochemical course in enantiospecific Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of α-(acetylamino)benzylboronic esters.

The stereochemical course of the stereospecific Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of enantioenriched α-(acetylamino)benzylboronic esters with aryl bromides can be switched by the choice of acidic additives in the presence of a Pd/XPhos catalyst system. Highly enantiospecific, invertive C-C bond formation takes place with the use of phenol as an additive. In contrast, high enantiospecificity for retention of configuration is attained in the presence of Zr(Oi-Pr)(4)·i-PrOH as an additive.

Stereospecific Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of chiral α-(acylamino)benzylboronic esters with inversion of configuration.

The first invertive B-alkyl Suzuki-Miyaura coupling has been achieved. The coupling of enantioenriched α-(acylamino)benzylboronic esters with aryl bromides and chlorides took place efficiently in toluene at 80 °C in the presence of Pd(dba)(2) (5 mol %), XPhos (10 mol %), K(2)CO(3) (3 equiv), and H(2)O (2 equiv). The reaction proceeded with inversion of configuration to give diarylmethanamine derivatives in high yields with high conservation of enantiomeric excesses.