TOTAL SYNTHESIS OF (S,S)-ISODITYROSINE

The novel dimeric amino acid isodityrosine 1 has been synthesized by a route which uses a new method of diaryl ether preparation. Nucleophil ic addition of a protected tyrosine to cyclohexenone oxide and the Pd( O)-catalyzed coupling of an aryl iodide with a protected iodoalanine d erivative are the key steps in this synthesis. This represents one of the first efficient syntheses of this molecule beginning with two natu rally-occurring amino acids as inexpensive starting materials (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.