合成路线1

After protection of (S)-adamantylglycine (I) as the tert-butyl carbamate (II) with Boc2O and K2CO3, hydroxylation of the adamantane ring using KMnO4 in hot aqueous KOH gives the alcohol (III) (1). Alternatively, the Boc-protected amino acid (III) can be prepared by treatment of (3-hydroxyadamantyl)glycine (IV) with Boc2O and NaOH. Subsequent coupling of N-Boc-(S)-(3-hydroxyadamantyl)glycine (III) with (1S,3S,5S)-2-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexane-3-carboxamide (V) using either EDC/HOBt or methanesulfonyl chloride and Hunig’s base produces amide (VI) (1-6). After protection of the hydroxyl group of (VI) with triethylsilyl triflate, the silylated carboxamide (VII) is dehydrated to the corresponding nitrile (VIII) by treatment with POCl3 and imidazole in pyridine. Deprotection of (VIII) employing trifluoroacetic acid in CH2Cl2 then gives saxagliptin (1). Scheme 1.
Alternatively, direct dehydration of unsilylated carboxamide (VI) with trifluoroacetic anhydride in the presence of pyridine or NaOH produces nitrile (IX), which undergoes acidic Boc group cleavage to furnish saxagliptin (2-6). Scheme 1.
In a related strategy, (3-hydroxyadamantyl)glycine (IV) is protected with either ethyl trifluoroacetate and potassium methoxide or dodecyl trifluorothioacetate and NaOH to give the trifluoroacetamide (X), which is further esterified with trifluoroacetic anhydride in isopropyl acetate to yield the N,O-bis(trifluoroacetyl) derivative (XI). After conversion of (XI) to the corresponding acid chloride (XII) by means of Vilsmeier reagent, condensation with the bicyclic carbonitrile (XIII) leads to amide (XIV). Hydrolysis of the trifluoroacetate ester (XIV) with NaHCO3 in MeOH provides (XV), from which the N-trifluoroacetyl group is reductively removed by means of NaBH4 to yield saxagliptin. Alternatively, the title compound is directly produced by treatment of the bis(trifluoroacetyl)-protected precursor (XIV) with NaBH4 in EtOH (7). Scheme 1.