Development of two diastereoselective routes towards trans-4-aminomethyl-piperidin-3-ol building blocks

Catalytic discrimination between formyl groups in regio- and stereoselective intramolecular cross-aldol reactions

Catalytic discrimination between inequivalent formyl groups was achieved using an aniline-type acid-base catalyst for the regio-, diastereo-, and enantioselective intramolecular cross-aldol reactions of enolizable dials. Although l-proline gave a mixture of the regio- and stereoisomeric products in the presence of an N-containing 1,6-dial, the aniline-type catalyst afforded anti-3,4-disubstituted pyrrolidine in high regio-, and stereoselectivity beyond the background reaction, which led to the regioisomeric 2,3-disubstituted products. The mild reactivity of the aniline-type amine facilitated catalytic discrimination between the inequivalent formyl groups. Kinetic isotope effect studies and reductive amination experiments suggested that the regioselectivity was controlled under the enamine-forming steps.

Ammonium-directed dihydroxylation of 3-aminocyclohex-1-enes: development of a metal-free dihydroxylation protocol

Treatment of 3-aminocyclohex-1-enes with mCPBA in the presence of trichloroacetic acid gives the corresponding 1,2-anti-2,3-syn-1-trichloroacetoxy-2-hydroxy-3-aminocyclohexane with high levels of diastereoselectivity (90% de). This is consistent with a mechanism of oxidation involving hydrogen-bonded delivery of the oxidant by the allylic ammonium ion formed in situ, followed by highly regioselective ring-opening of the intermediate epoxide by trichloroacetic acid. The effect of conformational constraints upon the oxidation reaction is also examined.