Formal Synthesis of the ACE Inhibitor Benazepril·HCl via an Asymmetric Aza-Michael Reaction

A formal enantioselective synthesis of benazepril·HCl (4), an anti- hypertensive drug, is reported. Our synthesis employed an asymmetric aza-Michael addition of L-homophenylalanine ethyl ester (LHPE, 1) to 4-(2-nitrophenyl)-4-oxo- but-2-enoic acid methyl ester (6) as the key step to prepare (2S,3’S)-2-(2-oxo-2,3,4,5- tetrahydro-1H-benzo[b]azepin-3-ylamino)-4-phenylbutyric acid ethyl ester (8), which is the key intermediate leading to benazepril·HCl (4).