We have studied the use of amino acid histidine as a precursor for N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands. This natural amino acid possesses an imidazole substituent, which makes it an interesting NHC precursor that contains both an acid and an amino functionality. These functionalities may be used for further tuning of NHC complexes. We have developed routes for the synthesis of symmetric and dissymmetric alkyl, benzyl, and aryl-substituted histidinium salts.[a] Molecular Scheme 3. Synthesis of symmetrically substituted benzylic histidinium bromides.
The Cyclic Urea ApproachSubsequently, we employed the cyclic urea approach, which allows the synthesis of dissymmetrically substituted histidinium salts and further tuning of the properties of the NHC metal complex. This is not straightforward because histidine has two tautomeric forms, which means that the δ-and the ε-nitrogen of the imidazole possess both imine and amine character (compound 4, Scheme 5). [20] Therefore, mixtures of regioisomers are obtained when the imidazole is reacted with one equivalent of an electrophile. To obtain the desired dissymmetrically substituted histidinium salts, we applied a route based on the report by Hodges and Chivikas, [17] and was improved by Brégeon et al. [30] (Scheme 4). Scheme 4. The cyclic urea route toward dissymmetrically substituted histidinium salts.This cyclic urea route induces regioselectivity because only the six-membered cyclic urea 5 can be formed. The second nitrogen atom can then be functionalized selectively through nucleophilic substitution. Subsequently, the R 1functionalized urea compounds can be ring-opened by reaction with an alcohol, which liberates the δ-nitrogen atom of the imidazole, and provides a carbamate-protected amine. The use of tBuOH affords the Boc-protected histidine, Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2015, 982-996