Process of preparation of optically active αaminoacetals

1. A process for preparing optically active α-aminoacetals of formula (R)-(I) or (S)-(I)

wherein

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

R 3 is a linear or branched C 1 -C 12 alkyl group; a C 2 -C 12 alkenyl group; a C 2 -C 12 alkynyl group; a C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl group; a C 3 -C 10 cycloalkenyl group; a cycloalkylalkyl group wherein the cycloalkyl and alkyl groups are as defined above; a heterocycloalkyl group containing 3 to 10 atoms; a heterocycloalkylalkyl group wherein 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 wherein R 4 is a linear or branched C 1 -C 12 alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, a cycloalkenyl group, a heterocycloalkyl group, an aryl group or a heteroaryl group, as defined above, or an OR 5 group wherein R 5 is an H, a linear or branched C 1 -C 12 alkyl group, a C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl group, a C 3 -C 10 cycloalkenyl group, a heterocycloalkyl group, an aryl group or a heteroaryl group, as defined above, or R 4 is an NHR 6 group wherein R 6 is a H, a linear or branched C 1 -C 12 alkyl group, a C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl group, a C 3 -C 10 cycloalkenyl group, a heterocycloalkyl group, an aryl group or a heteroaryl group, as defined above; all the alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, cycloalkylalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, heterocyclo-alkylalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, arylalkyl and heteroarylalkyl radicals above being unsubstituted or substituted;

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

wherein the process comprises the resolution of a compound of formula (I) in racemic form or in the form of mixtures of enantiomers

wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and the asterisk * are as defined above, with a resolving agent,

wherein the process comprises the steps of

a) reacting a compound of formula (I) with an optically active α-amino acid represented by general formulae (II) to (VI)

wherein

R 7 is a linear or branched C 1 -C 12 alkyl group; a C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl group; a cycloalkylalkyl group wherein the cycloalkyl and alkyl groups are as defined above; a monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic C 6 -C 14 aryl group; an arylalkyl group wherein the alkyl and aryl groups are as defined above; a heteroaryl group containing 5 to 14 atoms; or a heteroarylalkyl group wherein the alkyl and heteroaryl groups are as defined above; all the alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, arylalkyl, heteroaryl and heteroarylalkyl radicals being unsubstituted or substituted;

P is a 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl protective group; a —COR 8 group wherein R 8 is a hydrogen, a linear or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl group, a monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic C 6 -C 14 aryl group or an OR 9 group wherein R 9 is a linear or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl group or an arylalkyl group wherein the aryl and alkyl groups are as defined above; or an —S(O 2 )R 10 group wherein R 10 is a linear or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl group, a monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic C 6 -C 14 aryl group or an arylalkyl group wherein the aryl and alkyl groups are as defined above; all the 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl, alkyl, aryl and arylalkyl groups being unsubstituted or substituted;

X is a carbon or sulphur atom;

R, R′, R″ and R′″, independently of one another, are at least one hydrogen atom, halogen atom or hydroxyl group or an oxo (═O) group;

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

in a solvent, so as to form diastereoisomeric salts represented by formulae (VII) to (XI):

wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 7 , P, X, R, R′, R″, R′″ and the asterisk * are as defined above,

b) separating the diastereoisomeric salts of formulae (VII) to (XI) formed in the medium, and

c) releasing the optically active α-aminoacetal of formula (R)-(I) or (S)-(I).

2. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the compound of formula (I) is in racemic form or in the form of mixtures of enantiomers, 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 selected from the group consisting of: a substituted or unsubstituted, linear or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl group; a substituted or unsubstituted monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic C 6 -C 14 aryl group; a substituted or unsubstituted arylalkyl group wherein the aryl and alkyl groups are as defined above; a substituted or unsubstituted C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl group; and a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkylalkyl group wherein the cycloalkyl and alkyl groups are as defined above.

3. A process according to claim 1 wherein a compound of formula (I), in racemic form or in the form of mixtures of enantiomers, is reacted with an optically active α-amino acid represented by general formula (II) or (III)

wherein

R 7 is a linear or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl group which is unsubstituted or substituted with one or more hydroxyl, —NHP′, —C(O)NH 2 , —NH—C(═NH)—NHP′, —SH, —S—CH 3 , —CO 2 H or phenyl groups, wherein P′ is a hydrogen or an acetyl, propionyl, formyl, tosyl, benzoyl, ethoxycarbonyl, tert-butoxycarbonyl, benzyloxycarbonyl or 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl group; a cyclohexyl group; a phenyl group; a benzyl or naphthyl group which is unsubstituted or substituted one or more times with a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an NO 2 group, a phenyl group or a C 1 -C 3 alkoxy group; a pyridyl group; an imidazolylmethyl group; a pyridylmethyl group; or a thiazolylmethyl or indolylmethyl group;

P is an acetyl, propionyl, formyl, tosyl, benzoyl, ethoxycarbonyl, tert-butoxycarbonyl, benzyloxycarbonyl or 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl group;

X is a carbon atom;

R is a hydrogen atom.

4. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the optically active α-amino acid is selected from the group consisting of: N-acetyl-(L)-phenylalanine, N-acetyl-(D)-phenylalanine, N-acetyl-(L)-leucine, N-acetyl-(D)-leucine, N-acetyl-(L)-valine, N-acetyl-(D)-valine, N-acetyl-(L)-tyrosine, N-acetyl-(D)-tyrosine, N-acetyl-(L)-methionine, N-acetyl-(D)-methionine, N-acetyl-(L)-asparagine, N-acetyl-(D)-asparagine, N-tosyl-(L)-phenylalanine, N-tosyl-(D)-phenylalanine, N-ethoxy-carbonyl-(L)-phenylglycine and N-ethoxycarbonyl-(D)-phenylglycine.

5. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the optically active α-amino acid is N-acetyl-(L)-phenylalanine or N-acetyl-(D)-phenylalanine.

6. A process according to claim 1 , wherein a molar ratio of optically active α-amino acid of between 0.1 and 1 molar equivalent, relative to the compound of formula (I) is used.

7. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of isopropanol, ethanol, water, acetone, methyl isobutyl ketone, tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, ethyl acetate, toluene, methyl tert-butyl ether, and mixtures thereof.

8. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the compound of formula (I) in step a) is between 1% and 40% by weight.

9. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction temperature in step a) is between 0° C. and 120° C.

10. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the separation in step b) is carried out by precipitation of the diastereoisomeric salt which is the least soluble of the diastereoisomeric salts formed in the reaction medium, and filtration of the precipitated diastereoisomeric salt from the reaction medium.

11. A process according to claim 1 , wherein step c) is carried out by treatment of the separated diastereoisomeric salt with an alkaline or acidic aqueous solution.

12. A process according to claim 1 , wherein before releasing the optically active α-aminoacetal of formula (R)-(I) or (S)-(I), as defined above, the diastereoisomeric salts of formulae (VII) to (XI) obtained after step b) are subjected to at least one recrystallization or reslurrying step.

13. A process according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

recovering, from the reaction medium, a diastereoisomeric salt according to general formulae (VI) to (XI), which was not separated during step b), and

releasing the optically active α-aminoacetal of formula (R)-(I) or (S)-(I).

14. A process according to claim 1 , wherein a molar ratio of optically active α-amino acid of 0.5 molar equivalent, relative to the compound of formula (I) is used.

15. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the compound of formula (I) in step a) is between 3% and 9% by weight.

16. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the reaction temperature in step a) is between 5° C. and the boiling point of the reaction medium.

17. A process according to claim 1 , wherein separating the salts in step (b) comprises one or two recrystallizations and the optically active α-aminoacetal of formula (R)-(I) or (S)-(I) product released in step (c) has an optical purity of greater than 95%.

18. A process according to claim 17 , wherein separating the salts in step (b) comprises only one recrystallization.

19. A process according to claim 17 , wherein recrystallization of the salts in step (b) is carried out at a temperature between 0° C. and 120° C.

20. A process according to claim 17 , wherein the optically active α-aminoacetal is released from the corresponding diastereomeric salt by treatment of the salt with a base.