Process for the synthesis of intermediates useful for the synthesis of tubulin inhibitors

1. A process for the preparation of a compound of Formula I:

wherein:

R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from H, straight chain alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, halogen and alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;

R 3 is straight chain alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;

R 4 is straight chain alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms and branched chain alkyl of 3 to 4 carbon atoms;

R 5 is straight chain alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;

comprising:

a) treating a nitrile of the formula:

with a reducing agent followed by acid hydrolysis to obtain an aldehyde of the formula:

b) reacting the aldehyde (step a) with alkali metal cyanide in the presence of an alkyl amine of the formula R 5 NH 2 to obtain nitrile of the formula:

c) hydrolyzing the nitrile (step b) with an alkali metal hydroxide to give an amide of the formula:

d) reacting the amide (step c) with an organic carbonate, of the formula O[CO 2 R 4 ] 2 wherein each R 4 is taken independently in the presence of dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) to obtain a triblocked amide of the formula:

e) hydrolyzing triblocked amide (step d) with an alkali metal hydroxide to give racemic blocked amine of the formula:

f) reacting racemic blocked amine (step e) with a resolving base (NH 2 -resolving base) to obtain a resolved blocked amine salt of the formula:

and

g) treating the resolved blocked amine salt with aqueous alkali metal hydroxide and acidifying with acid to give a compound of Formula I:

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the reducing agent in step a is tin chloride/hydrochloric acid, lithium aluminum hydride, or diisobutylaluminum hydride (DIBAL-H).

3. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the reducing agent is diisobutylaluminum hydride (DIBAL-H).

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the alkali metal cyanide in step b is sodium cyanide, potassium cyanide or lithium cyanide.

5. The process according to claim 4 , wherein the alkali metal cyanide is potassium cyanide.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the alkylamine is methylamine.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the alkali metal hydroxide in step c is sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or lithium hydroxide.

8. The process according to claim 7 , wherein the alkali metal hydroxide is lithium hydroxide.

9. The process according to claim 7 , optionally including the oxidizing agent hydrogen peroxide in step c.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the organic carbonate in step d is t-butyl dicarbonate.

11. The process according to claim 1 , step d, optionally including the organic base N,N-diisopropylethylamine in step d.

12. The process according to claim 1 wherein the alkali metal hydroxide in step e is sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or lithium hydroxide.

13. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the alkali metal hydroxide is sodium hydroxide.

14. The process according to claim 1 wherein the resolving base in step f is (S)-(−)-α-methylbenzylamine, (S)-(−)-α-methyl-4-nitro-benzylamine, (1R,2S)-(−)-norephedrin, or (1S,2R)-(+)-norephedrin.

15. The process according to claim 14 , wherein the resolving base is (S)-(α)-methylbenzylamine or (S)-(−)-methyl-4-nitro-benzylamine.

16. The process according to claim 15 , wherein the resolving base is (S)-(−)-α-methylbenzylamine.

17. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the alkali metal hydroxide in step g is sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide or sodium carbonate.

18. The process according to claim 17 , wherein the alkali metal hydroxide is sodium hydroxide.

19. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the acids hydrochloric, sulfuric or citric acid in step g adjust the pH to 6 or less.

20. The process according to claim 19 , wherein the pH is adjusted to 3 to 6.

21. The process according to claim 20 , wherein the pH is adjusted to 4 to 6.

22. The process according to claim 21 wherein the pH is adjusted to 5 to 6 with citric acid.

23. A process for the preparation of a compound of the formula:

wherein:

R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from H, straight chain alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, halogen and alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;

R 3 is straight chain alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;

R 4 is straight chain alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms and branched chain alkyl of 3 to 4 carbon atoms;

R 5 is straight chain alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;

comprising:

a) reacting a racemic blocked amine of the formula:

with a resolving base (NH 2 -resolving base) to obtain a resolved blocked amine salt of the formula:

and

b) treating the resolved blocked amine salt with aqueous alkali metal hydroxide and acidifying with acid to give a compound of Formula I

24. The process according to claim 23 wherein the resolving base in step a is (S)-(−)-α-methylbenzylamine, (S)-(−)-α-methyl-4-nitro-benzylamine, (1R,2S)-(−)-norephedrin, or (1S,2R)-(+)-norephedrin.

25. The process according to claim 24 , wherein the resolving base is (S)-(−)-α-methylbenzylamine or (S)-(−)-α-methyl-4-nitro-benzylamine.

26. The process according to claim 25 , wherein the resolving base is (S)-(−)-α-methylbenzylamine.

27. The process according to claim 23 , wherein the alkali metal hydroxide in step b is sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide or sodium carbonate.

28. The process according to claim 27 , wherein the alkali metal hydroxide is sodium hydroxide.

29. The process according to claim 23 , wherein the acids hydrochloric, sulfuric or citric acid in step h adjust the pH to 6 or less.

30. The process according to claim 29 , wherein the pH is adjusted to 3 to 6.

31. The process according to claim 30 , wherein the pH is adjusted to 4 to 6.

32. The process according to claim 31 wherein the pH is adjusted to 5 to 6 with citric acid.

33. A process for the preparation of a compound of Formula I:

wherein:

R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from H, straight chain alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, halogen and alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;

R 3 is straight chain alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;

R 4 is straight chain alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms and branched chain alkyl of 3 to 4 carbon atoms;

R 5 is straight chain alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;

comprising:

a) deblocking substituted amine of the formula:

with acid to give nitrile of the formula:

b) hydrolyzing the nitrile (step a) in the presence of an alkali metal hydroxide to obtain an amide of the formula:

c) reacting the amide (step b) with an organic carbonate of the formula O[CO 2 R 4 ] 2 wherein R 4 is taken independently in the presence of dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) to give triblocked amide of the formula:

and;

d) hydrolyzing triblocked amide (step c) with an alkali metal hydroxide and acidifying with acid to obtain a compound of Formula I:

34. The process according to claim 33 step a wherein the acid is methanolic HCl.

35. The process according to claim 33 step b wherein the alkali metal hydroxide in step b is sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or lithium hydroxide.

36. The process according to claim 35 wherein the alkali metal hydroxide is lithium hydroxide.

37. The process according to claim 36 including an optionally added oxidizing agent which is hydrogen peroxide.

38. The process according to claim 33 , wherein the organic carbonate in step c is t-butyl dicarbonate.

39. The process according to claim 38 optionally including an organic base in step c which is N,N-diisopropylethylamine.

40. The process according to claim 33 wherein the alkali metal hydroxide in step d is sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or lithium hydroxide.

41. The process according to claim 40 , wherein the alkali metal hydroxide is sodium hydroxide.

42. The process according to claim 33 , step d wherein the acids hydrochloric, sulfuric or citric acid in step d adjust the pH to 6 or less.

43. The process according to claim 42 , wherein the pH is adjusted to 3 to 6.

44. The process according to claim 43 , wherein the pH is adjusted to 4 to 6.

45. The process according to claim 44 wherein the pH is adjusted to 5 to 6 with citric acid.