A novel strategy for the asymmetric synthesis of (S)-ketamine using (S)-tert-butanesulfinamide and 1,2-cyclohexanedione

摘要

We present a novel asymmetric synthesis route for synthesis of (S)-ketamine using a chiral reagent according to the strategy (Scheme 1), with good enantioselectivity (85% ee) and yield. In this procedure, the (S)-tert-butanesulfinamide (TBSA) acts as a chiral auxiliary reagent to generate (S)-ketamine. A series of new intermediates were synthesized and identified for the first time in this work (2-4). The monoketal intermediate (1) easily obtained after partial conversion of one ketone functional group of 1,2-cyclohexanedione into a ketal using ethylene glycol. The sulfinylimine (2) was obtained by condensation of (S)-tert-butanesulfinamide (TBSA) with (1), 4-dioxaspiro[4.5]decan-6-one in 90% yield. The (S)-N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketamine (3) was prepared on further reaction of sulfinylimine (2) with appropriate Grignard reagent (ArMgBr) in which generated chiral center in 85% yield and with 85% diastereoselectivity. Methylation of amine afforded the product (4). Finally, the sulfinyl- and ketal-protecting groups were removed from the compound (4) by brief treatment with stoichiometric quantities of HCl in a protic solvent gave the (S)-ketamine in near quantitative yield.