ConcertedAmidation of Activated Esters: ReactionPath and Origins of Selectivity in the Kinetic Resolution of CyclicAmines via N-Heterocyclic Carbenes and Hydroxamic Acid CocatalyzedAcyl Transfer

摘要

The N-heterocyclic carbene and hydroxamic acid cocatalyzed kinetic resolution of cyclic amines generates enantioenriched amines and amides with selectivity factors up to 127. In this report, a quantum mechanical study of the reaction mechanism indicates that the selectivity-determining aminolysis step occurs via a novel concerted pathway in which the hydroxamic acid plays a key role in directing proton transfer from the incoming amine. This modality was found to be general in amide bond formation from a number of activated esters including those generated from HOBt and HOAt, reagents that are broadly used in peptide coupling. For the kinetic resolution, the proposed model accurately predicts the faster reacting enantiomer. A breakdown of the steric and electronic control elements shows that a gearing effect in the transition state is responsible for the observed selectivity.