A facile and large-scale preparation of the antitumor agent
R116010 has been developed. The new synthetic process
requires four steps: (i) Friedel−Crafts reaction of N-phenyl-2-benzothiazolamine with 2-chloropropionyl chloride, (ii) conversion of the α-chloroketone into the corresponding α-(dimethylamino)ketone and resolution of the latter, (iii) reduction
of the chiral aminoketone with resultant formation of the
β-amino alcohol and finally (iv) conversion of the amino alcohol
into the β-aminoimidazole R116010. The key strategic improvement is the crystallization-induced diastereomeric dynamic
resolution of the aminoketone, leading to the chiral ketone in
90% yield and 90% enantiomeric purity. This new process
improves the overall yield from 0.26 to 18.8% without tedious
chromatographic separations and hazardous reaction conditions.