Synthesis of pyrimidinyl arylglycines through subsequent Mitsunobu and Petasis reactions

The synthesis of highly functionalized pyrimidinyl arylglycines is presented. The highlight in our synthetic sequence includes selective O-alkylation of 2-(benzylsulfanyl)-4(3H)-pyrimidinones with N-Boc β-aminoalcohols under Mitsunobu conditions, Petasis reaction with glyoxylic acid and phenylboronic acid and nucleophilic ipso-substitution of the activated sulfur with morpholine. The unexpected spontaneous Smiles rearrangement of several pyrimidinyl amines is also discussed.