Synthesis of optically pure ant pheromones with high enantiomeric purity.

Abstract

Chemical ecology studies with insects have founded that pheromonal communications often includes several components which can be linear, cyclic or heterocyclic compounds, in the case of chiral pheromones, insect often show the ability to characterize between and respond differently to stereoisomer. Among the most notable are those cases in which differential interspecific responses to enantiomer serve as a species isolating mechanism, the relationship between stereoisomers and pheromone activity are highly specific, meaningful assays and evaluation of the responses of insect to chiral pheromones must be carried out using substances of the highest possible chiral purity, we prepare ant pheromones using poly methyl methacrylate as chiral auxiliaries with high enantiomeric purity and the prepared compounds were characterized with spectroscopic data and the diastereomeric amides were separated using high performance liquid chromatography and give high enantiomeric excess, also we study the biological applications of our products and give agood results.