Dynamic kinetic resolution of homoallylic alcohols: application to the synthesis of enantiomerically pure 5,6-dihydropyran-2-ones and δ-lactones.

Dynamic kinetic resolution of various homoallylic alcohols with the use of Candida antarctica lipase B and ruthenium catalyst 2 afforded homoallylic acetates in high yields and with high enantioselectivity. These enantiopure acetates were further transformed into homoallylic acrylates after hydrolysis of the ester function and subsequent DMAP-catalyzed esterification with acryloyl chloride. After ring-closing metathesis 5,6-dihydropyran-2-ones were obtained in good yields. Selective hydrogenation of the carboncarbon double bond afforded the corresponding δ-lactones without loss of chiral information.

New aminoimidazoles as ß-secretase (BACE-1) inhibitors showing amyloid-ß (Aß) lowering in brain.

Amino-2H-imidazoles are described as a new class of BACE-1 inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Synthetic methods, crystal structures, and structure-activity relationships for target activity, permeability, and hERG activity are reported and discussed. Compound (S)-1m was one of the most promising compounds in this report, with high potency in the cellular assay and a good overall profile. When guinea pigs were treated with compound (S)-1m, a concentration and time dependent decrease in Aß40 and Aß42 levels in plasma, brain, and CSF was observed. The maximum reduction of brain Aß was 40-50%, 1.5 h after oral dosing (100 µmol/kg). The results presented highlight the potential of this new class of BACE-1 inhibitors with good target potency and with low effect on hERG, in combination with a fair CNS exposure in vivo.

Enantioselective route to ketones and lactones from exocyclic allylic alcohols via metal and enzyme catalysis.

A general and efficient route for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure α-substituted ketones and the corresponding lactones has been developed. Ruthenium- and enzyme-catalyzed dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) with a subsequent Cu-catalyzed α-allylic substitution are the key steps of the route. The α-substituted ketones were obtained in high yields and with excellent enantiomeric excess. The methodology was applied to the synthesis of a naturally occurring caprolactone, (R)-10-methyl-6-undecanolide, via a subsequent Baeyer-Villiger oxidation.

Design and synthesis of ß-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme (BACE1) inhibitors with in vivo brain reduction of ß-amyloid peptides.

The evaluation of a series of aminoisoindoles as ß-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) inhibitors and the discovery of a clinical candidate drug for Alzheimer's disease, (S)-32 (AZD3839), are described. The improvement in permeability properties by the introduction of fluorine adjacent to the amidine moiety, resulting in in vivo brain reduction of Aß40, is discussed. Due to the basic nature of these compounds, they displayed affinity for the human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG) ion channel. Different ways to reduce hERG inhibition and increase hERG margins for this series are described, culminating in (S)-16 and (R)-41 showing large in vitro margins with BACE1 cell IC(50) values of 8.6 and 0.16 nM, respectively, and hERG IC(50) values of 16 and 2.8 µM, respectively. Several compounds were advanced into pharmacodynamic studies and demonstrated significant reduction of ß-amyloid peptides in mouse brain following oral dosing.

Enantioselective synthesis of α-methyl carboxylic acids from readily available starting materials via chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution.

An enantioselective method for the synthesis of α-methyl carboxylic acids starting from trans-cinnamaldehyde, a readily available and inexpensive compound, has been developed. Allylic alcohol 1 was obtained via a standard Grignard addition to trans-cinnamaldehyde. Dynamic kinetic resolution was applied to allylic alcohol 1 utilizing a ruthenium catalyst and either an (R)-selective lipase or an (S)-selective protease to provide the corresponding allylic esters in high yield and high ee. A copper-catalyzed allylic substitution was then applied to provide the corresponding alkenes with inversion of stereochemistry. Subsequent C-C double bond cleavage afforded pharmaceutically important α-methyl substituted carboxylic acids in high ee and overall yields of up to 76%.

Enantioselective synthesis of (R)-bufuralol via dynamic kinetic resolution in the key step.

An enantioselective synthesis of (R)-bufuralol via a ruthenium- and enzyme-catalyzed dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) has been achieved. The synthesis starts from readily available 2-ethylphenol and provides (R)-bufuralol in high ee and a good overall yield of 31%.

Asymmetric synthesis of bicyclic diol derivatives through metal and enzyme catalysis: application to the formal synthesis of sertraline.

Enzyme- and ruthenium-catalyzed dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation (DYKAT) of bicyclic diols to their diacetates was highly enantio- and diastereoselective to give the corresponding diacetates in high yield with high enantioselectivity (99.9 % ee). The enantiomerically pure diols are accessible by simple hydrolysis (NaOH, MeOH), but an alternative enzyme-catalyzed ester cleavage was also used to give the trans-diol (R,R)-1 b in extremely high diastereomeric purity (trans/cis=99.9:0.1, >99.9 % ee). It was demonstrated that the diols can be selectively oxidized to the ketoalcohols in a ruthenium-catalyzed Oppenauer-type reaction. A formal enantioselective synthesis of sertraline from a simple racemic cis/trans diol 1 b was demonstrated.

Synthesis of a neonicotinoide pesticide derivative via chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution.

Chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) via combined ruthenium and enzyme catalysis was used in the key step of a synthesis of a neonicotinoid pesticide derivative (S)-3. The DKR was carried out under mild conditions with low catalyst loading. The method gives (S)-3 in high enantiomeric excess (98%).

Highly efficient route for enantioselective preparation of chlorohydrins via dynamic kinetic resolution.

Dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of various aromatic chlorohydrins with the use of Pseudomonas cepacia lipase (PS-C "Amano" II) and ruthenium catalyst 1 afforded chlorohydrin acetates in high yields and high enantiomeric excesses. These optically pure chlorohydrin acetates are useful synthetic intermediates and can be transformed to a range of important chiral compounds.

Large-scale ruthenium- and enzyme-catalyzed dynamic kinetic resolution of (rac)-1-phenylethanol.

The scale-up of the ruthenium- and enzyme-catalyzed dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of (rac)-1-phenylethanol (2) is addressed. The immobilized lipase Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) was employed for the resolution, which shows high enantioselectivity in the transesterification. The ruthenium catalyst used, (eta 5-C5Ph5)RuCl(CO)2 1, was shown to possess very high reactivity in the "in situ" redox racemization of 1-phenylethanol (2) in the presence of the immobilized enzyme, and could be used in 0.05 mol% with high efficiency. Commercially available isopropenyl acetate was employed as acylating agent in the lipase-catalyzed transesterifications, which makes the purification of the product very easy. In a successful large-scale DKR of 2, with 0.05 mol% of 1, (R)-1-phenylethanol acetate (3) was obtained in 159 g (97% yield) in excellent enantiomeric excess (99.8% ee).

An enantioselective route to alpha-methyl carboxylic acids via metal and enzyme catalysis.

Dynamic kinetic resolution of allylic alcohols to allylic acetates followed by copper-catalyzed allylic substitution gave alkenes in high yields and high optical purity. Subsequent oxidative C-C double bond cleavage afforded pharmaceutically important alpha-methyl substituted carboxylic acids in high ee.

Chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution of allylic alcohols: a highly enantioselective route to acyloin acetates.

Dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of a series of sterically hindered allylic alcohols has been conducted with Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) and ruthenium catalyst 1. The optically pure allylic acetates obtained were subjected to oxidative cleavage to give the corresponding acylated acyloins in high yields without loss of chiral information.

Divergent asymmetric synthesis of 3,5-disubstituted piperidines.

A divergent synthesis of various 3,5-dioxygenated piperidines with interesting pharmacological properties is described. A mixture of the achiral cis- and racemic trans-3,5-piperidine diol could be efficiently obtained from N-benzylglycinate in five steps by the use of chemoenzymatic methods. In the subsequent enzyme- and Ru-catalyzed reaction, the rac/meso diol mixture was efficiently transformed to the cis-(3R,5S)-diacetate with excellent diastereoselectivity and in high yield. Further transformations of the cis-diacetate selectively delivered the cis-piperidine diol and the cis-(3R,5S)-hydroxy acetate. Alternatively, the DYKAT could be stopped at the monoacetate stage to give the trans-(3R,5R)-hydroxy acetate.

Highly efficient redox isomerization of allylic alcohols at ambient temperature catalyzed by novel ruthenium-cyclopentadienyl complexes--new insight into the mechanism.

A range of ruthenium cyclopentadienyl (Cp) complexes have been prepared and used for isomerization of allylic alcohols to the corresponding saturated carbonyl compounds. Complexes bearing CO ligands show higher activity than those with PPh3 ligands. The isomerization rate is highly affected by the substituents on the Cp ring. Tetra(phenyl)methyl-substituted catalysts rapidly isomerize allylic alcohols under very mild reaction conditions (ambient temperature) with short reaction times. Substituted allylic alcohols have been isomerized by employing Ru-Cp complexes. A study of the isomerization catalyzed by [Ru(Ph5Cp)(CO)2H] (14) indicates that the isomerization catalyzed by ruthenium hydrides partly follows a different mechanism than that of ruthenium halides activated by KOtBu. Furthermore, the lack of ketone exchange when the isomerization was performed in the presence of an unsaturated ketone (1 equiv), different from that obtained by dehydrogenation of the starting allylic alcohol, supports a mechanism in which the isomerization takes place within the coordination sphere of the ruthenium catalyst.

Combined ruthenium(II) and lipase catalysis for efficient dynamic kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols. Insight into the racemization mechanism.

Pentaphenylcyclopentadienyl ruthenium complexes (3) are excellent catalysts for the racemization of secondary alcohols at ambient temperature. The combination of this process with enzymatic resolution of the alcohols results in a highly efficient synthesis of enantiomerically pure acetates at room temperature with short reaction times for most substrates. This new reaction was applied to a wide range of functionalized alcohols including heteroaromatic alcohols, and for many of the latter, enantiopure acetates were efficiently prepared for the first time via dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR). Different substituted cyclopentadienyl ruthenium complexes were prepared and studied as catalysts for racemization of alcohols. Pentaaryl-substituted cyclopentadienyl complexes were found to be highly efficient catalysts for the racemization. Substitution of one of the aryl groups by an alkyl group considerably slows down the racemization process. A study of the racemization of (S)-1-phenylethanol catalyzed by ruthenium hydride eta(5)-Ph(5)CpRu(CO)(2)H (8) indicates that the racemization takes place within the coordination sphere of the ruthenium catalyst. This conclusion was supported by the lack of ketone exchange in the racemization of (S)-1-phenylethanol performed in the presence of p-tolyl methyl ketone (1 equiv), which gave <1% of 1-(p-tolyl)ethanol. The structures of ruthenium chloride and iodide complexes 3a and 3c and of ruthenium hydride complex 8 were confirmed by X-ray analysis.