A convenient chemo-enzymatic synthesis and F-18-labelling of both enantiomers of trans-1-toluenesulfonyloxymethyl-2-fluoromethyl-cyclopropane

The present report is concerned with a stereoselective, reliable route to trans-1,2-disubstitutedcyclopropanes and in particular to (S,S)-1-tosyloxymethyl-2-fluoromethyl-cyclopropane (1) and (R,R)-1-tosyloxymethyl-2-fluoromethyl-cyclopropane (ent-1) as conformationally restricted, terminally fluorinated C-4-building blocks for medicinal chemistry. The enzymatic kinetic resolution based synthesis of 1 and ent-1 utilises inexpensive, commercially available starting materials. It is based on enantiomeric resolution of rac-cyclopropane carboxylic esters using esterase from Streptomyces diastatochromogenes. Both enantiomers of 1 were prepared selectively in high overall yield over nine steps, starting from ethyl acrylate. The successful radiosynthesis of [F-18]-1 and [F-18]-ent-1 is also reported.