Highly selective intermolecular Heck reaction for the soluble polymer supported synthesis of glutamic acid analogues

Analogues of the neurotransmitter glutamic acid were synthesized by performing a Heck reaction on 4-methylene glutamic acid analogue. This reaction has proved to be highly regio- and stereoselective in the formation of trisubstituted olefin derivatives. A soluble polymer supported substrate yielded similar results and provided an efficient method for the parallel synthesis of novel glutamic acid derivatives. Furthermore a one-pot Pd-catalyzed alkylation/Heck arylation sequence has been developed.