M. Olah, D. L. Kovacs, G. Katona
Jul 1, 2018
Citations
1
Influential Citations
8
Citations
Journal
Tetrahedron
Abstract
Abstract In this study, the activity of acetic acid esters modified with electron withdrawing 2-alkoxy-groups was investigated as acylating agent in kinetic resolution (KR) of racemic amines. A homologous series of the isopropyl esters of four 2-alkoxyacetic acids (2-methoxy-, 2-ethoxy-, 2-propoxy- and 2-butoxyacetic acids) were prepared and investigated for enantiomer selective N-acylation, catalyzed by lipase B from Candida antarctica, under batch and continuous-flow conditions. In the first set of experiments, isopropyl 2-propoxyacetate showed the highest effectivity with all of the four racemic amines [(±)-1-phenylethylamine, (±)-4-phenylbutan-2-amine, (±)-heptan-2-amine and (±)-1-methoxypropane-2-amine] in the set enabling excellent conversions (≥46%) and enantiomeric excess values (ee ≥ 99%) with each amines in continuous-flow mode KRs under the optimized reaction conditions. In a second set of experiments, KRs of five additional amines – being substituted derivatives of (±)-1-phenylethylamine – further demonstrated the usefulness of isopropyl 2-propoxyacetate – being the best acylating agent in the first set of KRs – in KRs leading to (R)-N-propoxyacetamides with high ee values (≥99.8%).