<p>Enzymes as tools in organic synthesis have provided enormous advantages. This thesis deals with the applications of enzymes in the kinetic resolutions of racemic compounds. The stereochemistry of chiral compounds and the kinetics of α/β hydrolase lipases are presented. From a practical point of view, the handling of a large number of parameters that influences the kinetic resolutions, especially enantioselectivity (E-value) are systematically described. A variety of approaches employed for raising the yields to over 50% are additionally discussed.</p><p>Methods for the preparation of synthetically useful chiral building blocks were developed in this thesis. Thus, resolution of secondary alcohols bearing two vicinal stereocentres are studied. These building blocks can serve as starting materials for the synthesis of various enantiomerically pure compounds for agrochemistry, pharmaceuticals, chemical industry, and particularly for the total synthesis of pheromones.</p><p>Racemic 3-substitued 2-hydroxybutane derivatives were produced in fairly high diastereomeric purities by a variety of chemical approaches, such as epimerization, metal-catalysed asymmetric addition etc. Kinetic resolution of these racemates was achieved by enzyme-catalysed reactions. Two lipases, Candida antarctica lipase B and Pseudomonas cepacia lipase were found to be useful in acylations as well as hydrolyses. In the biotransformations studied, the presence and nature of the second vicinal stereocentre in the chiral secondary alcohols investigated seemed to be important, e.g. in terms of the efficiencies of sequential kinetic resolutions, and altering the selectivities as well.</p>

Callophycolide A is a meroditerpene isolated from Callophycus serratus, a Fijian red macroalgae. Callophycolide A has been shown to inhibit bacterial growth, and it exhibits moderate cytotoxicity against multiple human cancer cell lines. Most importantly, it exhibits moderate activity against Plasmodium falciparum, the dead- liest malaria-causing parasite to humans. Due to its antimalarial action and the need for antimalarial drugs on the pharmaceutical market, efforts toward a modular approach to the total synthesis of callophycolide A are presented that incorporate inexpensive, commercially available starting materials, offer gram-level scalability, and utilize known chemistry, including copper-mediated aryl allylation, hydrolytic kinetic resolution, base-promoted epoxide ring-opening, and the Steglich esterification. Once completed, this synthetic pathway can be used as a template for the total synthesis of other related marine natural products, such as the callophycols, callophycoic acids, and the bromophycolides. Callophycoic acids, also isolated from C. serratus, are the first examples of diterpene- benzoic acids observed in macroalgae. In addition, these acids, particularly callophycoic acids G and H, exhibit modest antibacterial activity. Although they are not strongly potent against malaria, they share a trans-decalin core identical to callophycols A and B, which are halogenated diterpene-phenols isolated from C. serratus that do exhibit modest antimalarial activity. Due to their identical core and their simpler structure (i.e., trisubstituted olefin tail), if a divergent total synthesis of callophycoic acids G and H can be established, it can serve as a template for synthesizing natural products that have been identified to be more potent against malaria, such as the callophycols, which are more complex in structure. Herein, a total synthesis of callophycoic acids G and H is investigated, which consists of a Wittig reaction, nucleophilic addition, and a bromonium-induced cation-pi cascade cyclization, and the progress toward the target molecules in the current study will be disclosed. To access chiral intermediates for the aforementioned metabolites, catalytic methods were sought. Hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR) resolves racemic epoxides using water as the nucleophile and is most often catalyzed by chiral Co(III)-salens. Previous studies have shown that the counter-ion of the Co(III)-salen has a direct effect on the rate of the HKR; when catalyzed by a 50:50 mix of (R,R)-Co(III)-salen-OH and (R,R)-Co(III)-salen-SbF6, the fastest HKR rates occurred. It has further been shown that the enantioselectivity is primarily associated with the reaction of (R,R)-Co(III)-salen-OH on the activated epoxide. Based on the aforementioned origin of selectivity, a catalyst containing a 50:50 mix of (R,R)-Co(III)-salen-OH and (±)-trans-Co(III)-salen-SbF6 could, in principle, give high activities and enantioselectivities for HKR comparable to a mixed counter-ion system containing both (R,R)-Co(III)-salens. In this dissertation, a series of experiments are described that demonstrate that highly selective catalysis is only achieved using 100% enantiopure ligand and that mixtures of (R,R)-Co(III)-salen and (±)-trans-Co(III)-salen yield lower activity and selectivity. Control experiments demonstrate that this is due to rapid counter-ion scrambling under the reaction conditions, precluding the possibility of effectively co-utilizing enantiopure (expensive) and racemic (inexpensive) catalysts with differing counter-ions. The mechanistic investigations resolving the counter-ion scrambling are consistent with the currently accepted mechanism for catalysis, involving cooperative activity of the two Co(III)-salen species that activate the epoxide and water in the reaction. Moreover, the application of HKR in the progress toward the total synthesis of callo- phycolide A will be highlighted and discussed.

In asymmetric catalysis, interactions between multiple molecules of catalyst can be important for achieving high catalyst activity and stereoselectivity. In Chapter 1 of this thesis, we introduce catalyst-catalyst interactions in the context of the classic Kagan nonlinear effect (NLE) experiment, and present examples of the strengths and drawbacks of the NLE experiment. For the remainder of the thesis, we explore catalyst-catalyst interactions in the context of two different reactions. First, in Chapter 2, we apply a combination of reaction kinetics and computational chemistry to a reaction that is well known to require the cooperative action of two molecules of catalyst: the (salen)Co(III)-catalyzed hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR) of terminal epoxides. In our investigation, we demonstrate that stereoselectivity in the HKR is achieved through catalyst-catalyst interactions and provide a model for how high selectivity and broad substrate scope are achieved in this reaction. In Chapter 3, we focus our attention on the thiourea-catalyzed enantioselective alkylation of alpha-chloroethers with silyl ketene acetal nucleophiles, a reaction that was not known to require the cooperative action of two molecules of catalyst at the outset of our investigation. By using a wide range of physical organic chemistry tools, we established that the resting state of the optimal thiourea catalyst is dimeric under typical reaction conditions, and that two molecules of catalyst work cooperatively to activate the alpha-chloroether electrophile. The implications of this mechanism for catalyst design are discussed. / Chemistry and Chemical Biology

In the emerging aield of molecular machines, a molecular ratchet is a chemical system that allows the positional displacement of a submolecular component of be captured and directionally released. In information ratchets, the track over which a Brownian particle is to be transported is able to respond to the particle’s position. By raising energetic barriers to translation selectively behind the particle, it is possible to move the particle in a forward direction. This Thesis describes the development of a series of chemically-­‐driven information ratchets based on rotaxane architectures. Acylation of the rotaxane thread presents an impassible kinetic barrier to macrocycle shuttling. The incorporation of chiral centres into the thread allows the macrocycle’s position to have an effect on the kinetics of acylation in a chiral environment, with the result that the macrocycle is transported by successive acylation reactions in a direction speciaied by the handedness of a chiral. In Chapter One the physical principles of molecular motors are examined. It is shown that molecular motors are a subset of the much broader class of “triangular” reactions investigated by Onsager in 1931. Progress in the exciting aield of artiaicial chemical ratchets and motors is reviewed, and the deep connections between molecular motors and the cyclic reaction networks postulated to explain the origin of biological homochirality are explored. Chapter Two describes the synthesis and operation of a three-­‐compartment rotaxane information ratchet in which the macrocycle can be transported along a thread in either direction depending on the handedness of a chiral catalyst. Internal mechanisms of operation are elucidated by treating the system as a hidden Markov process. Chapter Three describes the synthesis and operation of a second-­‐generation three-­‐compartment information ratchet. A comparison between this system and that of the previous chapter sheds light on the complicated trade-­‐offs between kinetics and thermodynamics when these molecular ratchets are operated. In Chapter Four the ongoing efforts to construct extended information ratchets, incorporating many repeat units, are described. The synthesis of a aive-­‐ compartment information ratchet proved unexpectedly difaicult owing to problems of solubility. A four-­‐compartment rotaxane was easier to synthesise. Preliminary aindings suggest that an information ratchet mechanism is operating in this four-­‐compartment system.

Part 1: Transition-metal-catalyzed direct transformations of aromatic C-H bonds are emerging as valuable tools in organic synthesis. These reactions are attractive because of they allow for inherently efficient construction of organic building blocks by minimizing the pre-activation of substrates. Of these processes, direct arylation has recently received much attention due to the importance of the biaryl core in medicinal and materials chemistry. Also, alkyne hydroarylation has garnered interest because it allows for the atom-economical synthesis of functionalized alkenes directly from simple arenes and alkynes. Described in this thesis are number of advancements in these areas. First, palladium catalyzed direct arylation of azine N-oxides using synthetically important aryl triflates is described. Interesting reactivity of aryl triflates compared to aryl bromides was uncovered and exploited in the synthesis of a compound that exhibits antimalarial and antimicrobial activity. Also reported is the efficient, direct arylation enabled (formal) synthesis of six thiophene based organic electronic materials in high yields using simple starting materials. Additionally, the site-selective direct arylation of both sp2 and sp3 sites on azine N-oxide substrates is described. The arylation reactions are carried out in either a divergent manner or a sequential manner and is applied to the synthesis of the natural products, Papaverine and Crykonisine. Mechanistic investigations point towards the intimate involvement of the base in the mechanism of these reactions. Next, the rhodium(III)-catalyzed hydroarylation of internal alkynes is described. Good yields are obtained for a variety of alkynes and arenes with excellent regioselectivity for unsymmetrically substituted alkynes. Mechanistic investigations suggest that this reaction proceeds through arene metalation with the cationic rhodium catalyst, which enables challenging intermolecular reactivity. Part 2: Access to single enantiomer compounds is a fundamental goal in organic chemistry and despite remarkable advances in enantioselective synthesis, their preparation remains a challenge. Kinetic resolution of racemic products is an important method to access enantioenriched compounds, especially when alternative methods are scarce. Described in this thesis is the resolution of tertiary and secondary alcohols, which arise from ketone and aldehyde aldol additions. The method is technically simple, easily scalable, and provides tertiary and secondary alcohols in high enantiomeric ratios. A rationale for the unique reactivity/selectivity associated with (1S,2R)-N-methylephedrine in the resolution is proposed. Organocatalysis is a rapidly developing, powerful field for the construction of enantioenriched organic molecules. Described here is a complimentary class of organocatalysis using simple aldehydes as temporary tethers to perform challenging formally intermolecular reactions at room temperature. This strategy allows for the enantioselective, intermolecular cope-type hydroamination of allylic amines with hydroxyl amines. Also, interesting catalytic reactivity for dichloromethane is revealed.

Chiral cyclic alkenols with hydroxymethyl functionality are important structural units in many biologically active natural compouds such as prostaglandins, sesquiterpene antiviral agents, pentenomycins, xanthocidin, sarkomycin, etc. 1,3-cycloalkanediones are converted into bicyclic polyoxo derivatives with formaldehyde and trioxane in the presence of Lewis acid. Selective oxidation of the bicyclic compounds by using manganese(III)acetate followed by enzyme-catalyzed kinetic resolution afforded chiral bicyclic hydroxy ketones. Reduction of carbonyl group and cleavage of the ether functionality furnished the desired chiral cycloalkanols with hydroxymethyl group. This study is a model for the synthesis of these type of compounds.

Chiral hydroxylated cyclopentane derivatives are important precursors for biologically active compounds. Synthesis of these types of compounds in optically pure form found increased interest in pharmaceutical chemistry. 2-ethyl-cyclopentane-1.3-dione was acetoxylated using manganese III acetate at preferred positions. Enzyme catalyzed enantioselective hydrolysis or enantioselective acetoxylation of hydrolyzed acetoxy derivatives gives the corresponding hydroxylated diketones in optically pure form.

Chiral hydroxylated cyclopentane derivatives are important structural units in many biologically active compounds and are also important synthons for the asymmetric synthesis of natural products. Synthesis of these types of compounds in optically pure form found increased interest in pharmaceutical chemistry. For this purpose 5-acetoxy-3-methyl-2-methoxy-2-cyclopentene-1-one and 5-acetoxy-3-ethyl-2-methoxy-2-cyclopentene-1-one were acetoxylated using manganese (III) acetate at a&rsquo / positions. Enzyme catalyzed enantioselective hydrolysis of hydrolyzed acetoxy derivatives gives the corresponding hydroxylated diketones in optically pure form.

FONSECA, Thiago de Sousa. Síntese quimioenzimática do Mesilato de Rasagilina (Azilect). 2013. 114 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em química)- Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza-CE, 2013. / Submitted by Elineudson Ribeiro (elineudsonr@gmail.com) on 2016-06-02T20:57:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_dis_tsfonseca.pdf: 1927032 bytes, checksum: 84f632bf5ae2356bf2323decdf5dbfd2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by José Jairo Viana de Sousa (jairo@ufc.br) on 2016-07-20T20:39:45Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_dis_tsfonseca.pdf: 1927032 bytes, checksum: 84f632bf5ae2356bf2323decdf5dbfd2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-20T20:39:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2013_dis_tsfonseca.pdf: 1927032 bytes, checksum: 84f632bf5ae2356bf2323decdf5dbfd2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Here we describe the synthesis of the chemoenzymatic Rasagilina mesylate (Azilect®), a drug used in monotherapy in patients with early stage Parkinson. One of the goals of this project was to carry out the introduction of chirality via biocatalysis processes. We studied two strategies: i) bioreduction of indanone in the presence of a series of yeast and ii) kinetic resolution of rac-indanol using lipases in organic solvent. In strategy (i) was conducted a screening with six yeasts. In all tests the (S)-indanol was obtained in low conversions (9.4 to 13.2%) and enantiomeric excesses of up to 97.6%. Due to low conversion rates, we decided to implement the strategy (ii). After screening of nine commercial lipases, was possible to verify that the Amano lipase AK from Pseudomonas fluorescens and Lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus immobilized on immobead-150 were the most efficient in the kinetic resolution of rac- indanila acetate in aqueous medium with enantiomeric ratio equals 111.0 and 167.0 respectively. Thus, such lipases were selected for the kinetic resolution of rac-indanol in organic media. The best results of enzyme activity and selectivity were obtained using hexane as a solvent, reaction time of 15 minutes and 30ºC for Amano lipase AK (free enzyme) and 35ºC for Thermomyces lanuginosus, with enantiomeric ratio equals 200 for both cases. Were held assets of Amano AK (free enzyme) in various media and the best results were obtained selectivity and activity in hexane as organic solvent, reaction time of 6 hours and 30 º C using Amano Lipase AK immobilized chitosan in 2.5% low molecular weight; sodium alginate 2.5% and Amano AK lipase immobilized on chitosan 5.0% low molecular weight. The study was conducted reuse of immobilized lipase, Thermomyces lanuginosus being immobilized on immobead-150, the more efficiently compared to the others, since it has provided excellent results in higher reaction cycles. Subsequently, using a Mitsunobu reaction, (S)-indanol was converted to (R)-azidoindano with 70% yield. Then, the (R)-azidoindano was subjected to Staudinger reaction, producing (R)-indanamine in 60% yield. / Neste trabalho descrevemos a síntese quimioenzimática do Mesilato de Rasagilina (Azilect®), um fármaco utilizado na monoterapia de pacientes com Parkinson no estágio inicial. Um dos objetivos deste trabalho foi realizar a introdução da quiralidade via processos de biocatálise. Foram estudadas duas estratégias: i) biorredução da indanona na presença de uma série de leveduras e ii) resolução cinética do rac-indanol utilizando lipases, em solvente orgânico. Na estratégia (i) realizamos uma triagem com seis leveduras. Em todos os testes realizados o (S)-indanol foi obtido com baixas conversões (9,4-13,2%) e excessos enantioméricos de até 97,6%. Devido aos baixos valores de conversão, decidimos aplicar a estratégia (ii). Após uma triagem com nove lipases comerciais foi possível verificar que a Amano lipase AK a partir da Pseudomonas fluorescens e a Lipase a partir da Thermomyces lanuginosus imobilizada em immobead-150 foram as mais eficientes na resolução cinética do rac-acetato de indanila, em meio aquoso, com razão enantiomérica de 111,0 e 167,0, respectivamente. Com isso, tais lipases foram selecionadas para a resolução cinética do rac-indanol em meio orgânico. Os melhores resultados de seletividade e atividade enzimática foram obtidos utilizando hexano como solvente orgânico, tempo reacional de 15 minutos e temperatura de 30ºC para a Amano lipase AK (enzima livre) e 35ºC para a Thermomyces lanuginosus, com razão enantiomérica>200 para ambos os casos. Foram realizadas imobilizações da Amano AK (enzima livre) em vários suportes e os melhores resultados de seletividade e atividade foram obtidos em hexano como solvente orgânico, tempo reacional de 6 horas e temperatura de 30ºC empregando a Amano lipase AK imobilizada em quitosana 2,5% de baixo peso molecular; alginato de sódio 2,5% e a Amano lipase AK imobilizada em quitosana 5,0% de baixo peso molecular. Foi realizado o estudo de reuso das lipases imobilizadas, sendo a Thermomyces lanuginosus imobilizada em immobead-150, a mais eficiente comparada às demais, uma vez que proporcionou excelentes resultados em maiores ciclos reacionais. Posteriormente, empregando uma reação de Mitsunobu, o (S)-indanol foi convertido no (R)-azidoindano com rendimento de 70%. Em seguida, o (R)-azidoindano foi submetido a uma reação de Staudinger, produzindo a (R)-indanamina com 60% de rendimento.

Les travaux présentés dans ce manuscrit s’inscrivent dans le contexte général de l’essor de la biocatalyse et de son utilisation en synthèse organique. Le thème principal porte sur l’étude et le développement de différentes voies d’accès stéréosélectives à des acides alpha-aminés bêta-hydroxylés substitués. L’utilisation d’un biocatalyseur permettant d’accéder à des acides alpha-aminés bêta-hydroxylés par une aldolisation entre la glycine et divers aldéhydes, en présence de phosphate de pyridoxal, a été étudiée. Des aldéhydes aliphatiques, aromatiques et hétéroaromatiques ont pu être impliqués avec succès comme partenaires électrophiles dans ces réactions qui permettent un excellent contrôle de la configuration du carbone asymétrique créé en alpha du groupe carbonyle mais s’effectuent généralement avec des diastéréosélectivités plus modestes. Par ailleurs, un dédoublement cinétique enzymatique d’esters alpha,bêta-dihydroxylés, précurseurs d’acides alpha-aminés bêta-hydroxylés substitués en alpha, a été étudié. La méthode développée repose sur la monoacylation d’esters alpha,bêta-dihydroxylés, acycliques ou cycliques, en présence d’une lipase et d’un donneur d’acyle. De façon indépendante, la mise au point de séquences réactionnelles monotopes faisant intervenir une étape d’oxydation biocatalytique a été étudiée pour accéder à des composés aminés hautement fonctionnalisés. / The research work presented in this manuscript pertains to the field of biocatalysis and some applications in organic synthesis. The main subject is the development of stereoselective synthetic methods allowing access to substituted alpha-amino beta-hydroxy acids. The use of a biocatalyst enabling the preparation of optically enriched alpha-amino beta-hydroxy acids in a single step from glycine by an aldol reaction, in the presence of pyridoxal phosphate, was investigated. Aliphatic, aromatic and heteroaromatic aldehydes could be successfully used as electrophilic partners in such reactions that allow an excellent control of the stereocenter created at the alpha position of the carbonyl group whereas moderate levels of diastereoselectivity were generally observed. The enzymatic kinetic resolution of acyclic or cyclic alpha,beta-dihydroxy esters, which are precursors of alpha-substituted alpha-amino beta-hydroxy acids, was also achieved by monoacylation in the presence of a lipase and an acyl donor. Independently, a one-pot sequence involving a biocatalytic oxidation was developed to access highly functionalized nitrogen containing compounds.