Amino acids as selective acylating agents: regioselective N-1-acylation of imidazolidin-4-one derivatives of the antimalarial drug primaquine

The acylation of bioactive primaquine-based imidazolidin-4-ones was studied using N-chi-Boc-protected glycine as acylating agent. Two synthesis routes, eight different coupling methods and seven distinct solvents were compared. Mild carbodiimide-based couplings on high dielectric constant solvents s...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Nuno Vale (author)
Other Authors: Joana Matos (author), Rui Moreira (author), Paula Gomes (author)
Format: article
Language:eng
Published: 2008
Subjects:
Online Access:https://repositorio-aberto.up.pt/handle/10216/82026
Country:Portugal
Oai:oai:repositorio-aberto.up.pt:10216/82026
Description
Summary:The acylation of bioactive primaquine-based imidazolidin-4-ones was studied using N-chi-Boc-protected glycine as acylating agent. Two synthesis routes, eight different coupling methods and seven distinct solvents were compared. Mild carbodiimide-based couplings on high dielectric constant solvents such as DMF or MeCN increased acylation yields, whereas alcohols inhibited carbodiimide-mediated acylations to take place. Achievement of the synthetic goals was limited by the size of the imidazolidin-4-one ring substituents R-1, R-2 and R-3, but resort to MW-assisted synthesis allowed overcoming such obstacle, though with very modest reaction yields. All reactions involving a Boc-protected amino acid were regioselective, independent of reaction conditions employed. In contrast, regioselective acetylation of the imidazolidin-4-ones could only be achieved by resort to very mild coupling procedures.