Process for stereoselective synthesis of lamivudine

1. A process for stereoselective synthesis of Lamivudine, comprising the following steps:

(a) performing a glycosylation reaction between the compound of formula (I) and cytosine or protected cytosine, and separating the reaction product by recrystallization to obtain the intermediate of formula (II); and

(b) deprotecting the intermediate of formula (II) to obtain Lamivudine,

wherein the reaction scheme is as follows:

wherein R 1 is L-mentholformyl, L is a leaving group; and R 2 is a hydrogen or an amino protecting group.

2. The process for stereoselective synthesis of Lamivudine according to claim 1 , wherein the preparation method of the compound of formula (I) is as follows: the chiral auxiliary menthol is acylated by triphosgene to give L-menthol chloroformate, which is reacted with 1,2-isopropylidene protected glycerol, and then hydrolyzed to deprotect 1,2-isopropylidene; the resulting product is oxidized by sodium periodate, and condensed with 1,4-dihydroxy-2,5-dithiane to give an intermediate of formula (VIII) of high optical purity; and a hydroxyl at position 5 of the intermediate of formula (VIII) is substituted by chlorine to give a compound of formula (III), which is formula (I) where R 1 is L-mentholformyl and L is X; the reaction scheme is as follows:

wherein X is Cl.

3. The process for stereoselective synthesis of Lamivudine according to claim 1 , wherein the preparation method of the compound of formula (I) is as follows: a chiral compound of formula (IX) is used as a starting material, and methyl etherificated at 5-hydroxy, and then reduced to give the intermediate of formula (X), and then a chiral auxiliary is introduced to the hydroxy at position 2 of the intermediate of formula (X) to obtain the compound of formula (IV), which is formula (I) where R 1 is L-mentholformyl and L is methoxy; the reaction scheme is as follows:

4. The process for stereoselective synthesis of Lamivudine according to claim 3 , wherein the intermediate of formula (IV) for chiral control resulting from the compound of formula (X) is transformed to a compound of formula (V), which is formula (I) where R 1 is L-mentholformyl and L is acetate, and then undergoes a glycosylation reaction with protected cytosine, and the reaction scheme is as follows:

5. The process for stereoselective synthesis of Lamivudine according to claim 1 , wherein R 2 is hydrogen or acetyl.

6. The process for stereoselective synthesis of Lamivudine according to claim 1 , wherein L is methoxy or halogen or acetate group.

7. The process for stereoselective synthesis of Lamivudine according to claim 1 , wherein step (a) can be described as follows: cytosine or 4-amino protected cytosine is reacted with hexamethyldisilazane to give silylated 4-amino protected cytosine; which is then reacted with the compound of formula (I) at 10-80° C. for 1-20 hours; finally the resulting glycosylated product is separated by recrystallization to give 2R,5S-intermediate of formula (II) of high optical purity.

8. The process for stereoselective synthesis of Lamivudine according to claim 7 , wherein the 4-amino protected cytosine is N 4 -acetylcytosine.

9. The process for stereoselective synthesis of Lamivudine according to claim 1 , 5 , 6 , or 7 , wherein step (b) can be described as follows: the intermediate of formula (II) from step (a) is hydrolyzed by a base, and forms a salt with an organic acid, then the salt precipitates from water and finally the water insoluble salt is neutralized by an organic base to give Lamivudine.

10. The process for stereoselective synthesis of Lamivudine according to claim 9 , wherein organic acid is p-nitrobenzoic acid.

11. The process for stereoselective synthesis of Lamivudine according to claim 1 , wherein the synthetic scheme is as follows: