Synthesis of Diaryl Hydroxyl Dicarboxylic Acids from Amino Acids

Herein we report a unique method for preparing diaryl hydroxyl dicarboxylic acids in a diastereospecific manner. The three-component reaction occurs between amino acid, aromatic aldehyde, and primary alcohol in alkaline solutions under microwave-assisted conditions. The dicarboxylic acids are isolated as sodium salts in high yields (up to 77%) by direct precipitation from the reaction solution. The experimental results suggest that the diastereospecificity originates from a [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement followed by a sodium-assisted hydride transfer. As further shown, the previously unreported dicarboxylic acids are easily turned into corresponding δ-lactones.