A novel family of (1-aminoalkyl)(trifluoromethyl)- and -(difluoromethyl)phosphinic acids – analogues of α-amino acids

A series of novel (1-aminoalkyl)(trifluoromethyl)- and -(difluoromethyl)phosphinic acids – analogues of proteinogenic and nonproteinogenic α-amino acids were prepared. The synthetic methodology was based on nucleophilic addition of (trifluoromethyl)phosphinic acid or (difluoromethyl)phosphinic acid or its ethyl ester to substrates with C=N or activated C=C double bonds. Analogues of glycine, phenylglycine, alanine, valine, proline, aminomalonic and aspartic acids were thus prepared. Three-component one-pot reactions of (trifluoromethyl)phosphinic acid and dibenzylamine with aldehydes were also tested to prepare the title compounds.