An
efficient and scalable route to tert-butyl
3-oxo-3H-spiro[benzofuran-2,4′-piperidine]-1′-carboxylate,
a central prochiral intermediate in the synthesis of SHP2 inhibitor GDC-1971 (migoprotafib), was achieved. Preparation
of the title compound from readily available 2-fluorobenzaldehyde
included formation of a modified Katritzky benzotriazole hemiaminal,
which, upon deprotonation by n-butyllithium, participated
in umpolung reactivity via 1,2-addition to tert-butyl
4-oxopiperidine-1-carboxylate (N-Boc-4-piperidone).
Most notably, this reaction was developed as a robust plug-flow process
that could be executed on multiple kilograms without the need for
pilot-scale reaction vessels operating at low cryogenic temperatures.
Treatment of the resulting tetrahedral intermediate with oxalic acid
resulted in collapse to the corresponding 4-(2-fluorobenzoyl)-4-hydroxypiperidine,
which was isolated as a solid via crystallization. The synthesis concluded
with an optimized intramolecular S
N
Ar
reaction and final crystallization to generate tert-butyl 3-oxo-3H-spiro[benzofuran-2,4′-piperidine]-1′-carboxylate
as a stable, high-quality intermediate suitable for further functionalization
toward GDC-1971.