A series of single isomers tetrahydro-β-carboline diketopiperazines were stereoselectively synthesized starting from l-tryptophan methyl ester hydrochloride and six aldehydes through a four-step reaction including Pictet-Spengler reaction, crystallization-induced asymmetric transformations (CIAT), Schotten-Baumann reaction, and intramolecular ester amidation. The chemical structures were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and elemental analysis, among which two compounds were determined by x-ray single crystal diffraction. Moreover, antimicrobial activities of all the compounds were also tested.
Keywords: antimicrobial activity; configuration; crystallization-induced asymmetric transformations; tetrahydro-β-carboline diketopiperazine; x-ray single crystal diffraction.
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