Process of racemisation of optically active alpha aminoacetals

1. A process for preparing an α-aminoacetal substantially in racemic form of formula (I)

wherein:

R 1 and R 2 , which may be identical or different, are a linear or branched C 1 -C 12 alkyl group, or R 1 and R 2 are attached so as to form a 1,3-dioxolan-2-yl group which is unsubstituted or substituted on positions 4 and/or 5 with one or more linear or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl substituents, or a 1,3-dioxan-2-yl group which is unsubstituted or substituted on positions 4 and/or 5 and/or 6 with one or more linear or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl substituents;

R 3 is a linear or branched C 1 -C 12 alkyl group; a C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl group; a cycloalkylalkyl group in which the cycloalkyl and alkyl groups are as defined above; a heterocycloalkyl group containing 3 to 10 atoms; a heterocycloalkylalkyl group in which the heterocycloalkyl and alkyl groups are as defined above; a monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic C 6 -C 14 aryl group; a heteroaryl group containing 5 to 14 atoms; an arylalkyl group or a heteroarylalkyl group, in which the aryl, heteroaryl and alkyl groups are as defined above; a C(═O)R 4 group in which R 4 is an OR 5 group in which R 5 is a H, a linear or branched C 1 -C 12 alkyl group, a C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl group, a heterocycloalkyl group, an aryl group or a heteroaryl group as defined above, or R 4 is a —NHR 6 group in which R 6 is a H, a linear or branched C 1 -C 12 alkyl group, a C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl group, a heterocycloalkyl group, an aryl group or a heteroaryl group as defined above; wherein all the alkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkylalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, heterocycloalkylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, arylalkyl and heteroarylalkyl groups above may be unsubstituted or substituted,

the asterisk * signifies that the C atom is an asymmetrical carbon,

by racemization of an optically enriched α-aminoacetal of formula (R)-(I) or (S)-(I)

in which R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and the asterisk * are as defined for formula (I), comprising the steps of:

oxidizing an optically enriched compound of formula (R)-(I) or (S)-(I) as defined above, in the presence of a catalyst, so as to obtain an oxime compound of formula (II)

in which R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are as defined above, and

reducing the compound of Formula (II) to a compound of formula (I) as defined above, using a reducing agent.

2. A process according to claim 1 , wherein:

R 1 and R 2 , which may be identical or different, are a linear or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl group;

R 3 is a group chosen from a linear or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl group which is substituted or unsubstituted; a monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic C 6 -C 14 aryl group which is substituted or unsubstituted; an arylalkyl group in which the aryl and alkyl groups as are defined above, which is substituted or unsubstituted; a C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl group which is substituted or unsubstituted; a cycloalkylalkyl group in which the cycloalkyl group and the alkyl group are as defined above, which is substituted or unsubstituted.

3. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the oxidation step is carried out in the presence of an inorganic or organic peroxide.

4. A process according to claim 3 , wherein the peroxide is chosen from aqueous hydrogen peroxide, sodium perborate, sodium percarbonate, urea-H 2 O 2 complex or tert-butyl hydroperoxide.

5. A process according to claim 4 , wherein the peroxide is aqueous hydrogen peroxide.

6. A process according to claim 3 , wherein the peroxide is present in an amount of from 1 to 10 molar equivalents based on the optically enriched α-aminoacetals of formula (R)-(I) or (S)-(I).

7. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the oxidation step is carried out in the presence of a catalyst chosen from the group consisting of alkali metal salts of metal oxides of tungsten, of molybdenum and of vanadium, or mixtures thereof, titanium silicalites, peroxotungstophosphate and methyltrioxorhenium.

8. A process according to claim 7 , wherein the catalyst is chosen from the group consisting of sodium tungstate, potassium tungstate, sodium molybdate, potassium molybdate, sodium vanadate and potassium vanadate, and mixtures thereof.

9. A process according to claim 8 , wherein the catalyst is sodium tungstate.

10. A process according to claim 7 , wherein the catalyst is present in an amount of between 1 and 30 mol % based on the optically enriched α-aminoacetals of formula (R)-(I) or (S)-(I).

11. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the reduction step is carried out using a metal hydride.

12. A process according to claim 11 , wherein the reduction is carried out using sodium borohydride, lithium borohydride or lithium aluminium hydride.

13. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the reduction step is carried out by hydrogenation in the presence of Raney nickel or a supported noble metal such as palladium-on-charcoal or platinum-on-charcoal.

14. A process according to claim 13 , wherein the hydrogenation is carried out using Raney nickel.

15. A process according to claim 14 , wherein the amount of Raney nickel is between 1 and 10 molar equivalents of nickel atom based on the amount of oxime compound of formula (II).

16. A process according to claim 14 , wherein the amount of Raney nickel is 3 molar equivalents of nickel atom based on the amount of oxime compound of formula (II).

17. A process according to claim 7 , wherein the catalyst is present in an amount of 12 mol % based on the optically enriched α-aminoacetals of formula (R)-(I) or (S)-(I).

18. A process according to claim 8 , wherein the catalyst is sodium tungstate in its dihydrate form.

19. A process according to claim 3 , wherein the peroxide is present in an amount of from 3 to 4 molar equivalents based on the optically enriched α-aminoacetals of formula (R)-(I) or (S)-(I).