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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Direct Detection of the Acetate-forming Activity of the Enzyme Acetate Kinase
Published on: December 19, 2011
Catalytic enantioselective aza-Henry reaction with broad substrate scope
Claudio Palomo1, Mikel Oiarbide, Antonio Laso
1Departamento de Química Orgánica I, Facultad de Química, Universidad del País Vasco, Apdo. 1072, 20080 San Sebastián, Spain. qoppanic@sc.ehu.es
Abstract:
In situ generated azomethines from readily available precursors react with nitromethane in the presence of 120 mol % of CsOH.H2O and 12 mol % of quinine- and cinchonidine-derived quaternary ammonium chlorides to provide the corresponding aza-Henry adducts in good yields and very high selectivities. It represents the first general enantioselective aza-Henry method for azomethines derived from enolizable aldehydes, giving rise to enantiomeric excesses above 94%. In addition, the reactions with nitroethane afforded high diastereo- and enantioselectivities (syn:anti up to 95:5; up to 98% ee for syn).
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