Multicomponent Hantzsch cyclocondensation as a route to highly functionalized 2- and 4-dihydropyridylalanines, 2- and 4-pyridylalanines, and their N-oxides: preparation via a polymer-assisted solution-phase approach

An improved and efficient entry to highly functionalized β-(2-pyridyl)- and β-(4-pyridyl)alanines and the corresponding 1,4-dihydro and N-oxide derivatives has been developed by one-pot thermal Hantzsch-type cyclocondensation of aldehyde–ketoester–enamine systems in which one of the reagents (aldehyde or ketoester) was carrying the unmasked but protected chiral glycinyl moiety. Thus coupling N-Boc-O-benzyl aspartate β-aldehyde, acetoacetate and aminocrotonate esters afforded tetrasubstituted β-(4-dihydropyridyl)alanines (75% yield). One of these products was almost quantitatively transformed into the β-(4-pyridyl)alanine derivative which in turn was oxidized to the corresponding N-oxide. Each of these enantiomerically pure (Mosherʹs amide analysis) heterocyclic α-amino acids was incorporated into a tripeptide by coupling with (S)-phenylalanine. In a similar way tetrasubstituted β-(2-dihydropyridyl)alanine, β-(2-pyridyl)alanine and β-(1-oxido-2-pyridyl)alanine were prepared via Hantzsch cyclocondensation reaction using benzaldehyde, aminocrotonate, and acetoacetate carrying the N-Boc-O-benzyl glycinate moiety. It was shown that the work up of the reaction mixtures derived from the cyclocondensation and oxidation reactions can be carried out by the use of polymer supported reagents and sequestrants thus allowing the isolation of the products in high purity without any chromatography.