The trimethylsilylalkyl acetoacetates 1 b and 2 b as well as their carba analogues 1 a and 2 a have been reduced microbiologically by Kloeckera corticis (ATCC 20109), leading to the corresponding ( + )-3(S)-hydroxybutanoates 3b, 4b, 3a, and 4a. The enantiomeric purity was found to be 80% (3a, 3b, 4b) and 65% (4a), respectively. The reduction of lb and 2b is - to our knowledge - the first example for a controlled microbiological transformation of organosilicon substrates.
The potentially curare-like silicon compounds 8a- 8f were synthesized and investigated with respect to their structure-activity relationships. The conformations of the compounds in the solid state and in solution were studied by X-ray diffraction analysis (8a- 8e) and IR NMR spectroscopy (8a- 8f), respectively. The muscle relaxing properties of 8a- 8f were investigated on the mouse. The observed structure-activity relationships are not in accordance with the classical "14 Å model" for neuromuscular blocking agents.
