IChO 1986 · Theory problem 5

Lactic acid, its dilactide and polylactide, and the herbicide Barnon

Bacterial conversion of saccharose leads to (S)-(+)-2-hydroxypropanoic acid (L-(+)-lactic acid), which forms a cyclic ester out of two molecules. This dilactide can be polymerized to a polylactide, which is used in surgery.

5.1 Give the spatial structures and Fischer projection of L-(+)-lactic acid and its dilactide.

5.2 Sketch the structure of the polylactide discussed above (at least three units). What is its tacticity (iso-, syndio- or atactic)?

5.3 Draw the isomeric dilactides formed out of racemic lactic acid. Show the configuration of the chiral centres.

L-(+)-lactic acid is used for the preparation of the herbicide Barnon that is used against wild oats. In this case (+)-lactic acid is esterified with 2-propanol and then the hydroxyl group is treated with methanesulfonyl chloride. The product is then submitted to a \(\mathrm{S_N2}\)-reaction with 3-fluoro-4-chloro-phenylamine, where the methanesulfonate group leaves as \(\ce{CH3SO3^-}\). Finally a benzoyl group is introduced with the help of benzoyl chloride.

5.4 Draw the Fischer projection of the various consecutive reaction products.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 5.1 L-(+)-lactic acid is (S)-2-hydroxypropanoic acid, C[C@H](O)C(=O)O. Its Fischer projection has \(\ce{CO2H}\) above, \(\ce{CH3}\) below, hydroxyl left and hydrogen right. Its cyclic diester is L,L-lactide, (3S,6S)-3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione, C[C@@H]1OC(=O)[C@H](C)OC1=O.

  • 5.2 The product is isotactic poly(L-lactide): every stereogenic carbon has configuration \(S\). A three-repeat fragment is *O[C@@H](C)C(=O)O[C@@H](C)C(=O)O[C@@H](C)C(=O)*, where * denotes continuation of the chain.

  • 5.3 There are three stereoisomeric lactides: L,L-lactide, \((3S,6S)\), given above; its enantiomer D,D-lactide, (3R,6R)-3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione, C[C@H]1OC(=O)[C@@H](C)OC1=O; and meso-lactide, (3R,6S)-3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione, C[C@@H]1OC(=O)[C@@H](C)OC1=O. The \((3S,6R)\) description represents the same meso compound.

  • 5.4 The consecutive products are:

Step Product Stereochemical SMILES
1 Isopropyl (2S)-2-hydroxypropanoate C[C@H](O)C(=O)OC(C)C
2 Isopropyl (2S)-2-[(methylsulfonyl)oxy]propanoate C[C@H](OS(=O)(=O)C)C(=O)OC(C)C
3 Isopropyl (2R)-2-[(4-chloro-3-fluorophenyl)amino]propanoate C[C@@H](Nc1cc(F)c(Cl)cc1)C(=O)OC(C)C
4 Barnon, isopropyl (2R)-2-[benzoyl(4-chloro-3-fluorophenyl)amino]propanoate C[C@@H](N(c1cc(F)c(Cl)cc1)C(=O)c1ccccc1)C(=O)OC(C)C

Solution

5.1 — Lactic acid and its dilactide

In every Fischer projection below, horizontal bonds point towards the observer and vertical bonds point away.

The Fischer projection of L-(+)-lactic acid is

\[ \begin{array}{ccc} & \ce{CO2H} &\\ & | &\\ \ce{HO} & \ce{-C-} & \ce{H}\\ & | &\\ & \ce{CH3} & \end{array} \]

Its tetrahedral spatial structure is therefore specified by hydroxyl and hydrogen pointing towards the observer, with carboxyl and methyl pointing away in this projection.

The CIP priority order is

\[ \ce{OH}>\ce{CO2H}>\ce{CH3}>\ce{H}. \]

The carboxyl carbon outranks the methyl carbon because its attached-atom list is oxygen, oxygen, oxygen, whereas that of methyl is hydrogen, hydrogen, hydrogen. Accounting for hydrogen pointing towards the observer gives the stated \(S\) configuration.

Two lactic acid molecules form two ester bonds, eliminating two molecules of water, O:

\[ \ce{2 CH3CH(OH)CO2H -> C6H8O4 + 2 H2O}. \]

The product is the six-membered cyclic diester L,L-lactide. Number its ring consecutively as

\[ \ce{O-C(=O)-CH(CH3)-O-C(=O)-CH(CH3)}, \]

starting with oxygen at position 1 and closing the final carbon back to that oxygen. The stereogenic carbons are positions 3 and 6. Esterification preserves their configurations, giving \((3S,6S)\).

A precise perspective drawing can be constructed as follows:

  • Draw a hexagon with O1 at the top and number clockwise.
  • C2 and C5 carry the carbonyl oxygens.
  • At both C3 and C6, draw methyl on a hashed wedge pointing away and hydrogen on a solid wedge pointing towards the observer.

In this convention the two methyl groups are cis.

For a cyclic Fischer projection, write the following ring path vertically, from top to bottom:

\[ \ce{C(=O)-CH(CH3)-O-C(=O)-CH(CH3)-O}. \]

Join the bottom oxygen to the top carbonyl carbon by an external return bond. At both stereogenic crosses, place hydrogen on the left and methyl on the right. Each cross then has a carbonyl carbon above and an ester oxygen below, giving \(S\) at both centres. This specifies configuration without assigning a particular ring conformation.

5.2 — Polylactide structure and tacticity

Opening the lactide rings produces the polyester backbone

\[ \ce{...-O-CH(CH3)-C(=O)-O-CH(CH3)-C(=O)-O-CH(CH3)-C(=O)-...}. \]

This explicitly shows three lactyl repeat units. Every displayed \(\ce{CH(CH3)}\) centre has configuration \(S\), as encoded in the fragment SMILES in the Answers.

Each lactide supplies two lactyl repeats. Ignoring initiator-dependent end groups, the balanced repeat-unit stoichiometry is

\[ \ce{n C6H8O4 -> [-O-CH(CH3)-C(=O)-]_{2n}}. \]

Normal ring-opening polymerization cleaves an ester bond at the acyl group without substituting at a stereogenic carbon. Thus the configurations are retained, and no small molecule is eliminated during this polymerization step.

Because all stereogenic repeat units have the same configuration, the polymer is isotactic.

5.3 — Lactides from racemic lactic acid

Racemic lactic acid contains equal amounts of the \(S\) acid and D-(R)-lactic acid, C[C@@H](O)C(=O)O.

Pairing the two configurations gives \(SS\), \(RR\), \(SR\), and \(RS\). The two ring positions are equivalent, so \(SR\) and \(RS\) describe one meso compound. Consequently, there are three distinct stereoisomers.

Using the numbered hexagon and cyclic Fischer convention specified in 5.1:

Lactide Configuration Perspective: methyl bonds at C3, C6 Cyclic Fischer: methyl positions at C3, C6
L,L-lactide \((3S,6S)\) Both hashed wedges, away Right, right
D,D-lactide \((3R,6R)\) Both solid wedges, towards Left, left
meso-Lactide \((3R,6S)\) Solid wedge, hashed wedge Left, right

At each centre, hydrogen occupies the position opposite methyl.

The \(SS\) and \(RR\) compounds are enantiomers. The \(RS\) compound is achiral and meso, and is a diastereomer of each member of the enantiomeric pair. Its two methyl groups are trans in the stated hexagon convention.

Each formation reaction has the condensation stoichiometry given in 5.1: two lactic acid molecules yield one lactide and two water molecules.

5.4 — Consecutive products in the Barnon synthesis

Let \(\ce{Ar}\) denote the 4-chloro-3-fluorophenyl group, with fluorine at position 3 and chlorine at position 4 relative to the carbon bonded to nitrogen.

For every product, draw the Fischer projection with \(\ce{CO2CH(CH3)2}\) at the top and \(\ce{CH3}\) at the bottom. The horizontal substituents are:

Product Left Right Configuration
Isopropyl lactate \(\ce{OH}\) \(\ce{H}\) \(S\)
Its methanesulfonate ester \(\ce{CH3SO2O}\), bonded through oxygen \(\ce{H}\) \(S\)
Aniline substitution product \(\ce{H}\) \(\ce{NHAr}\), bonded through nitrogen \(R\)
N-Benzoylated product, Barnon \(\ce{H}\) \(\ce{N(Ar)C(=O)C6H5}\), bonded through nitrogen \(R\)

The balanced equations below show acid equivalents explicitly; the problem does not specify an acid-accepting base.

Step 1: esterification. Reaction with propan-2-ol, CC(O)C, gives isopropyl \(S\)-lactate:

\[ \ce{CH3CH(OH)CO2H + (CH3)2CHOH <=> CH3CH(OH)CO2CH(CH3)2 + H2O}. \]

The reaction occurs at the carboxyl group. No bond at the stereogenic carbon is replaced, so its configuration remains \(S\).

Step 2: methanesulfonylation. The alcohol reacts with methanesulfonyl chloride, CS(=O)(=O)Cl:

\[ \ce{CH3CH(OH)CO2CH(CH3)2 + CH3SO2Cl -> CH3CH(OSO2CH3)CO2CH(CH3)2 + HCl}. \]

The formal acid by-product is hydrogen chloride, Cl.

The hydroxyl oxygen forms a bond to sulfur; the original bond between oxygen and the stereogenic carbon remains intact. Configuration is therefore retained: \(S\).

Step 3: nucleophilic substitution. The nucleophile is 4-chloro-3-fluoroaniline, Nc1cc(F)c(Cl)cc1. Its nitrogen attacks the stereogenic carbon from the side opposite the leaving group:

\[ \ce{CH3CH(OSO2CH3)CO2CH(CH3)2 + ArNH2 -> CH3CH(NHAr)CO2CH(CH3)2 + CH3SO3^- + H+}. \]

The leaving group is methanesulfonate, CS(=O)(=O)[O-]. The hydrogen ion, [H+], accounts formally for deprotonation of the nitrogen after substitution.

Backside attack gives Walden inversion. In both substrate and product the heteroatom substituent has highest priority, followed by the ester carbonyl carbon, methyl, and hydrogen. Thus inversion changes the designation from \(S\) to \(R\). With the vertical Fischer groups fixed, hydrogen is now left and the amino substituent right.

Step 4: benzoylation. The secondary amine reacts with benzoyl chloride, O=C(Cl)c1ccccc1:

\[ \ce{CH3CH(NHAr)CO2CH(CH3)2 + C6H5COCl -> CH3CH(N(Ar)C(=O)C6H5)CO2CH(CH3)2 + HCl}. \]

Benzoylation replaces the nitrogen-bound hydrogen with a benzoyl group, producing a tertiary amide. The stereogenic carbon undergoes no substitution, so its configuration remains \(R\).

The complete configuration sequence is therefore

\[ \boxed{S \xrightarrow{\text{esterification}} S \xrightarrow{\text{O-mesylation}} S \xrightarrow{\mathrm{S_N2}} R \xrightarrow{\text{N-benzoylation}} R}. \]

The solution was checked against the official solution.