Enantioselective hydrogenation of N-acetyl dehydrophenylalanine methyl ester using cinchonine-modified Pd/TiO2 catalysts

The enantioselective hydrogenation of N-acetyl dehydrophenylalanine methyl ester (NADPME) to N-acetyl phenylalanine methyl ester is investigated using cinchonine-modified Pd/TiO2 catalysts. The catalysts were prepared using deposition–reduction and wet impregnation methods and were evaluated for reaction using methanol as solvent with various cinchonine/NADPME molar ratios. Enantioselectivity was sensitive to this ratio and comparison with Pd/γ-Al2O3 showed that the Pd/TiO2 gave marginally higher enantioselectivity when tested under comparable conditions. The effect of Pd loading and dispersion was investigated and the maximum enantiomeric excess observed was dependent on the dispersion; the role of the Pd particle size is discussed in the context of cinchonine adsorption. The reactions were carried out in solvents (methanol and dimethyl formamide) and mixed solvents (methanol–water and dimethyl formamide–water); the enantiomeric excess was significantly enhanced using dimethyl formamide. The addition of water does not have a significant effect for the Pd/TiO2 catalysts. In this paper we report the highest enantiomeric excess for the hydrogenation of a prochiral ester using an immobilised catalyst.