Synthesis of the tripeptide domain of sanglifehrins using asymmetric phase-transfer catalysis.

The tripeptide (S)-valinyl-(S)-m-hydroxyphenylalanyl-(3S)-piperazate common to immunosuppressant sanglifehrins was synthesized from the constituent amino acid residues in nine steps and 42% overall yield. A key construction was the installation of (S) absolute configuration in m-hydroxyphenylalanine using asymmetric phase-transfer catalysis in the presence of N-(1-naphthyl)cinchonidinium bromide. Cbz-protected (S)-valine was first coupled to the amino group of (S)-m-triisopropylsilyloxyphenylalanine tert-butyl ester, and the resulting dipeptide after ester cleavage was linked to (3S)-methyl piperazate.