A research group led by Yoichi Hoshimoto, a lecturer at the Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, has developed a method for highly efficient synthesis of a wide variety of amino acids using an organic molecular catalyst containing boron and hydrogen gas.
Amine compounds are important organic compounds found in many pharmaceuticals, pesticides, functional materials and food additives.Rare metal catalysts have been indispensable for the conventional synthesis reactions of amine compounds, and the cost of the catalyst and the cost of removing residual metals contained in the product have been major problems.In recent years, methods using organic molecular catalysts and organic reducing agents that do not use rare metals have been developed, but there is a problem that a large amount of waste is generated.
Therefore, this time, the group has developed an epoch-making reductive amination reaction using hydrogen (H2) as a reducing agent by using an organic molecular catalyst containing boron.Surprisingly, the only by-product of the reaction is water, which has a near-zero impact on the environment.Furthermore, what is noteworthy is the wide range of applicability of this reaction.It can be used for highly functionalizing a wide variety of amino acids, and amine compounds contained in pharmaceuticals and pesticides can be synthesized in a short process and with high efficiency.
This achievement has achieved the reaction that has been awaited for development for many years. This synthesis method enables pharmaceuticals to be synthesized easily with low environmental load, low cost, and expansion of the library of drug discovery seed compounds. Can be expected to lead to.
Paper information:[Journal of American Chemical Society] Main-Group-Catalyzed Reductive Alkylation of Multiply Substituted Amines with Aldehydes Using H2
