Process for preparing 3-heteroaryl-3-hydroxypropanoic acid derivatives

1. A process for preparing enantiomer-enriched compounds of the formula (VI),

heteroaryl-CH(OH)—CH 2 —CH 2 —NR 2 R 3   (VI)

in which

heteroaryl is a monocyclic aromatic radical having a total of 6 ring atoms, where one or two ring atoms, selected from the group oxygen, sulphur and nitrogen, is present and where the monocyclic aromatic radical is optionally substituted, once, twice or three times, by radicals which are selected, in each case independently of each other, from the group hydroxyl, C 1 -C 8 -alkyl, cyano, COOH, COOM, where M is an alkali metal ion or a half equivalent of an alkaline earth metal ion, COO—(C 1 -C 4 -alkyl),O—(C 1 -C 4 -alkyl), N(C 1 -C 4 -alkyl) 2 , NH—(C 1 -C 4 -alkyl), NO 2 , fluorine, chlorine, bromine, C 1 -C 4 - fluoroalkyl, CONH 2 and CONH—(C 1 -C 4 -alkyl), and

R 2 and R 3 are, in each case independently of each other, hydrogen, C 1 -C 8 -alkyl, C 4 -C 14 -aryl or C 5 -C 15 -arylalkyl, or the two radicals R 2 and R 3 are together C 3 -C 12 -alkylene,

comprising:

a) reducing compounds of the formula (I)

heteroaryl-CO—CH 2 W  (I),

in which

heteroaryl is defined as in formula (IV), and

W is C(O)YR 1 n , where Y is =oxygen and n is =1 or Y is nitrogen and n is =2, or

W is CN,and

R 1 are, in each case independently of each other, hydrogen, C 1 -C 8 -alkyl, C 4 -C 10 -aryl or C 5 -C 11 -arylalkyl or, when Y is nitrogen, the two radicals R 1 are together C 3 -C 5 alkylene,

by contacting said compounds of the formula (I) with microorganisms selected from the group consisting of Saccharomyces cerevisiae NG 247, Saccharomyces cereviseae Y278 and Geotrichum candidum ATCC 34614;

in the presence of water having a pH range of from 3 to 11, based on 25° C.;

to yield enantiomer-enriched compound of formula (II),

heteroaryl-CH(OH)—CH 2 W  (II)

where, in each case,

heteroaryl and W have the meanings mentioned under formula (I), and

b) performing one of the following manipulations,

i)when W is CON(R 1 ) 2 and the R 1 radicals are in each case, independently of each other, hydrogen, C 1 -C 8 -alkyl, C 4 -C 10 -aryl or C 5 -C 11 -arylalkyl, or the two R 1 radicals are together C 3 -C 5 -alkylene,

reacting the enantiomer-enriched compounds of formula (II) with amines of the formula (III)

HNR 2 R 3   (III)

in which R 2 and R 3 have the meaning mentioned under formula (VI), to give enantiomer-enriched compounds of the formula (IV),

heteroaryl-CH(OH)—CH 2 —CO—NR 2 R 3   (IV)

in which heteroaryl, R 2 and R 3 have the previously mentioned meanings, or

when W is CN, aminolyizing/hydrolyzing the compounds of the formula (II) directly to yield compounds of the formula (IV), or initially hydrolyzing, partially hydrolyzing or both alcoholyzing/hydrolyzing the compounds of formula (II) to yield compounds of the formula (V)

heteroaryl-CH(OH)—CH 2 —CO—R 4   (V)

in which heteroaryl has the meaning given under formula (I) and R 4 is OR 1 or NH 2 , where R 1 has the abovementioned meaning, and amidating the compound of formula (V) to yield enantiomer-enriched compounds of the formula (IV), and

c) reducing the enantiomer-enriched compounds of the formula (IV) to yield enantiomer-enriched compounds of the formula (VI) having the abovementioned meaning.

2. Process according to claim 1 , characterized in that, in the formulae (III), (IV) and (VI), R 2 and R 3 are, in each case, independently selected from hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, phenyl or benzyl.

3. Process according to claim 1 , characterized in that compounds of the formula (I) in which W is not CN are obtained by reacting compounds of the formula (VII)

heteroaryl-CO—CH 3   (VII)

in which heteroaryl has the meaning mentioned under formula (I), with compounds of the formula (VIII),

R 1 —O—W  (VIII)

in which

R 1 and W have the same meanings as those which were given under the formula (I), with W not being CN, in the presence of a base.

4. Process according to claim 1 , characterized in that the reduction of compounds of the formula (VI) is effected using complex boron hydrides or aluminium hydrides.

5. Process according to claim 1 , characterized in that (1S)-3-(methylamino)-1-(2-thiophenyl)-1-propanol, (1R)-3-(methylamino)-1-(2-thiophenyl)-1-propanol, (1S)-3-(dimethylamino)-1-(2-thiophenyl)-1-propanol or (1R)-3-(dimethylamino)-1-(2-thiophenyl)-1-propanol is prepared.

6. Process according to claim 1 , characterized in that in a further step d),

the enantiomer-enriched compounds of the formula (VI) are reacted, in the presence of base, with compounds of the formula (XI)

R 6 -Hal  (XI)

in which

R 6 is phenyl or naphthyl which is optionally substituted, once or more than once, by substituents which are selected, in each case independently of each other, from the group cyano, CO—(C 1 -C 12 -alkyl), O—(C 1 -C 12 -alkyl), (C 1 -C 12 -alkyl), fluorine, chlorine, bromine and C 1 -C 12 -fluoroalkyl, and

Hal is fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine,

to give enantiomer-enriched compounds of the formula (X),

heteroaryl-CH(OR 6 )—CH 2 —CH 2 NR 2 R 3   (X)

in which heteroaryl, R 2 and R 3 have the meaning given under formula (I) and R 6 has the meaning given under formula (XI).

7. Process according to claim 6 , characterized in that (S)-N-methyl-3-(1-naphthalenyloxy)-3-(2-thienyl)propylamine and (R)-N-methyl-3-(1-naphthalenyloxy)-3-(2-thienyl)propylamine, or their ammonium salts, are prepared.

8. Process according to claim 1 , characterized in that W is C(O)YR 1 n , where Y is =oxygen and n is =1 or Y is nitrogen and n is =2.

9. Process according to claim 1 , characterized in that W is CN.

10. Process according to claim 1 , which comprises contacting said compounds of the formula (I) with Saccharomyces cereviseae NG 247.

11. Process according to claim 1 , which comprises contacting said compounds of the formula (I) with Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y278.

12. Process according to claim 1 , which comprises contacting said compounds of the formula (I) with Geotrichum candidum ATCC 34614.