Synlett 2005(13): 2015-2018  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-871973
LETTER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

A Rapid Condensation between Lysophosphorylcholine and Fatty Acids with an Easily Separable Amine Base

Hukum P. Acharya, Yuichi Kobayashi*
Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Box B52, Nagatsuta-cho 4259, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan
Fax: +81(45)9245789; e-Mail: ykobayas@bio.titech.ac.jp;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 16 May 2005
Publication Date:
20 July 2005 (online)

Abstract

With 2,6-Cl2C6H3COCl and 1-methylimidazole, the title condensation completed at room temperature within 12 hours, which is shorter time than that with the standard DCC/DMAP system. Use of easily separable 1-methylimidazole from the crude product by chromatography is an additional advantage of the present reagent system.

12

The racemic lyso-PC 1 was conveniently prepared from racemic glycidol in two steps according to the literature procedure: [9] (i) POCl3 then [HO(CH2)2NMe3]+·TsO-; (ii) C15H31CO2Cs.

14

Due to the low solubility of lyso-PC 1, THF was omitted in the preliminary study using 4.

15

Reaction was carried out until 1 was consumed completely by 1H NMR spectroscopy since separation of product 3a and remaining 1 by chromatography on silica gel by using a CH2Cl2-MeOH mixture as an eluent was quite difficult. TLC analysis was useless for monitoring the progress of reaction.

16

The R f values of compounds (Merck Silica gel 60 F254, MeOH): 1, 0.1-0.2; 2a-e, >0.8; 3a, 0.1-0.2; 3b, 0.1-0.2; 3c, 0.1-0.2; 3d, 0.2; 3e, 0.2; 3f, 0.2; DMAP, 0.1-0.15;
1-methylimidazole, 0.5; 1-butylimidazole, 0.6; and
1-benzylimidazole, 0.6.

17

Chromatography of a reaction mixture on silica gel was conducted with CH2Cl2-MeOH (CH2Cl2 only, then 5:1, finally 1:3). Excess 2a eluted very early, then DMAP, followed rapidly by product 3a, though DMAP was slightly more polar than 3a on TLC. Other by-product(s) derived from the acid chloride (or simply the hydrolyzed acid) did not interfere with the purification of 3a. In addition, CH2Cl2-MeOH is a convenient solvent system for chromatography in comparison with conventional CHCl3-MeOH-H2O because of fast elution during chromatography, easy evaporation of the eluent, and no contamination of silica gel impurity that is frequently encountered with the latter solvent system.

18

Confer condensation of acyl imidazolide and lysophophorylcholines, see ref. 5.