The chemical synthesis and enzymatic desymmetrization of a panel of prochiral diamines have been successfully described for the first time using lipases in organic solvents. A family of 2-aryl-1,3-propanediamines has been obtained with high enantiopurity and good yields in the PSL-catalyzed reaction using diallyl carbonate in 1,4-dioxane.
A wide range of prochiral 1,3-diamines were first efficiently synthesized and subsequently desymmetrized by using lipase from Pseudomonas cepacia as catalyst and diallyl carbonate as alkoxycarbonylating agent. In all cases, the amino carbamates of R-configuration were recovered. Final selective cleavage of the N-allyloxycarbonyl moiety was carried out under mild reaction conditions, which demonstrates