Constrained cycloalkyl analogues of glutamic acid: stereocontrolled synthesis of (+)-2-aminobicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (LY354740) and its 6-phosphonic acid analogue

A new stereocontrolled synthesis of (+)-2-aminobicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-2.6-dicarboxylic acid (LY354740) 1, a potent and selective 2mGluR agonist, has been accomplished in four steps with an overall yield of 27% starting from the enantiopure (+)-(R)-2-(p-tolylsulfinyl)cyclopent-2-enone 3. The key steps include asymmetric cyclopropanation of 3 with (dimethylsulfuranylidene)acetate (EDSA) and removal of the chiral p-tolylsulfinyl auxiliary from the cycloadduct ent-4c upon treatment with iso-propylmagnesium chloride. The stereoselective hydantoin formation from the bicyclic ketone 6 formed (Bucherer-Bergs reaction) and subsequent hydrolysis completed the synthesis of 1. The same reaction sequence has been applied in the first synthesis of enantiopure (+)-2-amino-6-phosphonobicyclo[3.0.1]hexane-2-carboxylic acid 2, a structural 6-phosphono analogue of 1. The starting bicyclic ketophosphonates 9-11 have been obtained by asymmetric cyclopropanation of (-)-(S)-3 with phosphoryl sulfonium ylides, producing only two endo-isomers. The major endo-isomer (+)-11a containing the 6-diisopropoxyphosphoryl group has been converted in three steps into (+)-endo-2 in 46% overall yield. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.