Synthesis of Unnatural α-Amino Acids via Photoinduced Decatungstate-Catalyzed Giese Reactions of Aldehydes

Synthesis of unnatural amino acids has long been a focus of chemistry research. Here, we present an efficient, general method that furnishes gamma-carbonyl alpha-amino acids via photoinduced decatungstate-catalyzed Giese reactions of readily available aldehydes as radical precursors. This mild, robust method is compatible with a wide array of functional groups and has a broad substrate scope. We demonstrated the utility of the method by modifying several amino acid bearing drugs and natural products.

Automated summary

The study introduces an efficient and general method for synthesizing gamma-carbonyl alpha-amino acids through photoinduced decatungstate-catalyzed Giese reactions of readily available aldehydes as radical precursors. The mild and robust method is compatible with a wide array of functional groups and has a broad substrate scope. The utility of the method was demonstrated by modifying several amino acid bearing drugs and natural products.