Chemo-Enzymatic Synthesis of Chiral Epoxides Ethyl and Methyl (S)-3-(Oxiran-2-yl)propanoates from Renewable Levoglucosenone: An Access to Enantiopure (S)-Dairy Lactone

Title
Chemo-Enzymatic Synthesis of Chiral Epoxides Ethyl and Methyl (S)-3-(Oxiran-2-yl)propanoates from Renewable Levoglucosenone: An Access to Enantiopure (S)-Dairy Lactone
Publication Date
2016
Author(s)
Peru, Aurelien A M
Flourat, Amandine L
Gunawan, Christian
Raverty, Warwick
Jevric, Martyn
Greatrex, Ben
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0356-4966
Email: bgreatre@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:bgreatre
Allais, Florent
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
MDPI AG
Place of publication
Switzerland
DOI
10.3390/molecules21080988
UNE publication id
une:19704
Abstract
Chiral epoxides-such as ethyl and methyl (S)-3-(oxiran-2-yl)propanoates ((S)-1a/1b)-are valuable precursors in many chemical syntheses. Until recently, these compounds were synthesized from glutamic acid in four steps (deamination, reduction, tosylation and epoxide formation) in low to moderate overall yield (20%-50%). Moreover, this procedure requires some harmful reagents such as sodium nitrite ((eco)toxic) and borane (carcinogen). Herein, starting from levoglucosenone (LGO), a biobased chiral compound obtained through the flash pyrolysis of acidified cellulose, we propose a safer and more sustainable chemo-enzymatic synthetic pathway involving lipase-mediated Baeyer-Villiger oxidation, palladium-catalyzed hydrogenation, tosylation and treatment with sodium ethoxide/methoxide as key steps. This route afforded ethyl and methyl (S)-3-(oxiran-2-yl)propanoates in 57% overall yield, respectively. To demonstrate the potentiality of this new synthetic pathway from LGO, the synthesis of high value-added (S)-dairy lactone was undertaken from these epoxides and provided the target in 37% overall yield from LGO.
Link
Citation
Molecules, 21(8), p. 1-10
ISSN
1420-3049
1431-5165
Start page
1
End page
10

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