Design of potential new HIV protease inhibitors: enantioconvergent synthesis of new pyrrolidin-3-ol, and pyrrolidin-3-onepeptide conjugates

Abstract

Novel potential HIV protease inhibitors are obtained by an enantioconvergent synthesis of mimicking Phe-Pro dipeptides, achieved through the coupling between Boc(L)Phe or Boc(L)Tyr and both enantiomers of syn-2-benzylpyrrolidin-3-ol and their corresponding pyrrolidin-3-one analogs. The stereochemistry and enantiopurity of intermediate 3-hydroxypyrrolidines 5a and 5b are determined through ¹H NMR analysis, and through the synthesis and ¹⁹F NMR assignments of the corresponding Mosher’s esters 13a and 13b. The enantiopure compounds 5a and 5b are obtained with 100% diastereoselectivity using specific experimental reductive conditions upon Meldrum’s acid derivatives of activated aromatic amino acids.