Construction of three contiguous stereocenters through amine-catalyzed asymmetric aldol reactions

Three contiguous stereocenters were constructed by an amino acid-catalyzed asymmetric aldol reaction of α-siloxyketones with racemizable α-haloaldehydes via dynamic kinetic resolution. One-pot catalytic asymmetric synthesis of the highly functionalized products could also be accomplished by the α-bromination of simple aldehydes and the subsequent asymmetric aldol reaction.

Reversal of facial selectivity in a thia-Claisen rearrangement by incorporation of a vinylic bromine substituent

Thia-Claisen rearrangements have been carried out using N-benzylpyrrolidine-2-thione and chiral allylic bromides derived from D-mannitol. Introduction of a bromine atom onto the double bond of the allylic bromide reverses the sense of diastereoselectivity in the [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement. Density functional theory calculations lead us to rationalise the observed selectivity in terms of a Cíeplak effect.

Claisen rearrangements of equilibrating allylic azides

Equilibrating mixtures of allylic azide-containing allylic alcohols or allylic 2-tolylsulfonylacetic esters undergo Johnson-Claisen or Ireland-Claisen rearrangement reactions to give unsaturated γ-azidoesters and -acids, respectively. Decarboxylation of the acids under basic conditions gives azidosulfones, with moderate to high diastereoselectivity.