Nickel-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of substituted cinnamic acid esters to synthesize methylsulfonyl-derived phenylalanine

Abstract

Nickel-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of α-benzamidocinnamic acid esters was studied to establish an effective approach for synthesizing methylsulfonyl-substituted phenylalanine. Using nickel acetate and simple R-BINAP as the catalyst, under the optimized conditions, methylsulfonyl substituted cinnamic acid esters were obtained with high yields and enantioselectivity (up to 99% yields and 96% ee). This method holds significant potential for the synthesis of chiral pharmaceuticals and bioactive molecules.