Method for preparing tert-leucine and analogues thereof in enantiomeric form and intermediates therein

摘要

Azlactone (3), or the opposite enantiomer thereof, undergoes biotransformation, using suitable enzymatic activity, in the presence of a compound YH to form a N-acyl-amino acid (2), wherein R1, R2 and R3 are each not hydrogen and are independently selected from groups containing up to 20 carbon atoms, optionally with any combination of R1, R2 and R3 being joined together to form at least one ring, X is selected from groups containing up to 20 carbon atoms, and Y is selected from the group consisting of -OH, -Oalkyl and -Nalkyl. Amino acid (1), or the opposite enantiomer thereof, can be prepared in high enantiomeric excess from N-acyl amino acid (2), by converting Y to OH.