Scaleable catalytic asymmetric Strecker syntheses of unnatural alpha-amino acids.

ABSTRACT: Alpha-amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and are widely used as components of medicinally active molecules and chiral catalysts. Efficient chemo-enzymatic methods for the synthesis of enantioenriched alpha-amino acids have been developed, but it is still a challenge to obtain non-natural amino acids. Alkene hydrogenation is broadly useful for the enantioselective catalytic synthesis of many classes of amino acids, but it is not possible to obtain alpha-amino acids bearing aryl or quaternary alkyl alpha-substituents using this method. The Strecker synthesis-the reaction of an imine or imine equivalent with hydrogen cyanide, followed by nitrile hydrolysis-is an especially versatile chemical method for the synthesis of racemic alpha-amino acids. Asymmetric Strecker syntheses usin

SUBMITTER: Zuend SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2778849 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature