Preparation of β-fluoro- and β,β-difluoro-histidinols

Nucleophilic attack of azide on 2-bromo-3-fluoro-3-(1-trityl-1H-imidazol-4-yl)-propan-1-ol (1a) in aprotic solvent occurs on the 2-position to give the 2-azido derivative (2a). Reduction of azide and removal of the trityl group produces β-fluorohistidinol (6a). Elimination of HBr from 1a followed by “FBr” addition to the resulting double bond gives 2-bromo-3,3-difluoro-3-(1-trityl-1H-imidazol-4-yl)-propan-1-ol (1b). Nucleophilic attack of azide followed by reduction and removal of the trityl group, as for the preparation of 6a, gives β,β-difluorohistidinol (6b). Initial attempts, under a variety of conditions, to oxidize the fluorinated histidinol precursors to carboxylic acids have not been successful.