A stereocontrolled synthesis of (2R, 3R)-3-hydroxyproline 5 has been achieved in 33% overall yield from a prochiral β-ketoester : the methyl 5,5-dimethoxy-3-oxopentanoate 6. The key intermediate is the richly functionalized compound 4 which presented three different oxygenated groups and an anti relationship between the alcohol and the amine.Peptide structures with proline components have received considerable attention over the past few years. (1) trans-3-Hydroxy-L-proline 1 is a constituent of naturally occurring peptides such as Mucrorin-D, (2) Telomycin (3) and has been isolated from mediterranean sponge and from collagen hydrolysates. (4) The reduced form of 1, the trans-3-hydroxy-L-prolinol 2, occurs in the seeds of the legume Castanospernum australe. (5)
Scheme 1Several syntheses of trans-3-hydroxyproline and prolinol have been developed in the literature starting from chiral sources such as pyroglutamic acid, (6) L-serine (7) , D-mannitol (8) or L-malic acid. (9) The key intermediates of our approach are the anti diastereomers 3 and 4 of the methyl 2-amino-3-hydroxy-5,5-dimethoxypentanoate. These richly functionalized compounds should be useful for the synthesis of various α-amino-β-hydroxy acids of either (L) or (D) configurations.
Scheme 2Recently, Ciufolini et al. reported the synthesis of the N,O diprotected 4 using the Aza-Achmatowicz reaction (10) in several steps from a chiral furan oxazalone. (11) In connection to our continued work on the asymmetric synthesis of α-amino-β-hydroxy acids, our route to 3 and 4 relied on sequential catalytic hydrogenation and electrophilic amination, (12) we report here a concise and stereoselective synthesis of the unnatural trans-3-hydroxy-D-proline.(2R, 3R)-Hydroxyproline 5 was obtained by cyclisation of 4 prepared from β-ketoester 6. (13) First, we studied the hydrogenation of 6 in the presence of ruthenium catalysts. The C5 acetal functionalized β-ketoester 6 presented two symmetrical oxygens in γ positions to the carbonyl group : this could modify the chelation of the ruthenium complex and influence the enantioselectivity of the reaction.Under classical conditions (20 bars, 50°C) the asymmetric hydrogenation of the β-ketoester 6 was carried out in presence of (R)-BinapRuBr 2 (14) or [(R)-BinapRuCl 2 ] 2 -Et 3 N (15) and methanol was used as solvent to avoid secondary reactions such as transacetalisation or transesterification. The yields did not exceed 50% and substantial degradation of the substrate was observed. Then, the hydrogenation was performed at room temperature and atmospheric pressure using 2 molecular % of (R)-BinapRuBr 2 generated in situ. (16) Under these mild conditions, the β-hydroxyester 7 was obtained with 86% yield and the enantiomeric excess was higher than 95%. The enantiomeric excess was determinated by chiral gas chromatography. (17) The diastereoselective amination was carried out with dibenzylazodicarboxylate as electrophilic reagent for the amination step because the conditions of the deprotection of a benzyl carbamate are compatible w...