SYNTHESIS AND USE OF ENANTIOMERICALLY PURE TERT-LEUCINE

Owing to its bulky, inflexible and hydrophobic tert-butyl side chain, tert-leucine (Tle) finds increased use in templates or catalysts in as ymmetric synthesis as well as in peptidic medicinal compounds. (S)-Tle , available through a large-scale enzymatic reductive amination proces s, has been incorporated into a variety of anti-AIDS and -cancer compo unds. With two new routes to (R)-Tle coming available, the number of a pplications of both (R)- and (S)-Tle can be expected to increase consi derably.