Highly enantioselective catalytic asymmetric synthesis of a (R)-sibutramin precursor.

The first highly enantioselective, catalytic asymmetric synthesis of di-des-methylsibutramine 3 is described. Dienamide 10, prepared by acetic acid anhydride quenching of the condensation product of nitrile 4 with a methallyl magnesium chloride, proved to be an excellent substrate for ruthenium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation with atropisomeric diphosphine ligands. Hydrogenation with a ruthenium/(R)- MeOBiPheP catalyst at S/C = 500, gave the chiral amide (R)-9 in 98.

Synthesis of a Sialyl Lewis x Mimic with Fixed Carboxylic Acid Group: Chemical Approach toward the Elucidation of the Bioactive Conformation of Sialyl Lewis x.

The relation of the solution and bioactive conformation of sialyl Lewis x (sLe(x)) has been addressed by chemical means. To mimic the preferred solution conformation of sLe(x) 1, the more rigid analog 2 has been designed and synthesized. The sialic acid residue of 1 was replaced by a carboxylic acid function which is fixed in the equatorial position of a six membered ring acetal fused to galactose.