New and Concise Approach to (R)-α-Lipoic Acid

Abstract

A concise enantiospecific synthesis of (S)-6,8-bis(methylsulfonyloxy)-octanoic acid (2), a ready precursor of (R)-(+)-α-lipoic acid (1), is reported. The key step of the synthesis is the coupling of the tosylate derived from (R)-malic acid with phenylpropyl magnesium bromide. A recently reported green procedure was used for the oxidative unmasking of the phenyl group, used as a latent carboxyl group.

Keywords:

• Asymmetric synthesis
• lipoic acid
• malic acid