Mid Sweden University

In the presence of enantiopure organocatalysts, 1-cycloalkene-1-carboxaldehydes and various nitrones furnished fused isoxazolidines. Thus, some chiral pyrrolidinium salts catalyzed the formation of such cycloadducts in high diastereo- and enantioselectivity (up to 92% ee). The predominant diastereomer, the exo one, was mostly obtained in excellent diastereoselectivity (> 99:1 dr). Furthermore, after recrystallization of one of the cycloadducts, this was obtained enantiomerically pure (> 99% ee). The absolute configuration of one of the cycloadducts was determined. 

Doubly diastereoselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of chiral non-racemic azomethine ylides to cyclic five-and six-membered α,β-unsaturated N-enoylbornanesultams were carried out. When suitable solvents were used, the fused bicyclic adducts formed were obtained in good diastereoselectivity. Moreover, a change of the absolute configuration of the starting ylide precursor reversed the diastereoselectivity of some such reactions. Cleavage of the chiral auxiliary of the cycloadducts furnished amino alcohols and a β-amino ester. The latter was transformed into a known precursor of an antibacterial compound.

Doubly diastereoselective 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of chiral azomethine ylides to cinnamoyl moieties, attached to chiral auxiliaries, were investigated. The resulting trans-3,4-disubstituted pyrrolidines were obtained in diastereomeric ratios of up to 78:22. The influence on this ratio by the constitution of the chiral ylide was found to be rather small.

Asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of chiral azomethine ylides to 3-benzyloxy-substituted alkenoylcamphorsultams are described. trans-3,4-Disubstituted pyrrolidines containing a protected hydroxyl group at C(4) of the pyrrolidine ring are obtained in high diastereomeric ratios. Such compounds can serve as chiral building blocks for the syntheses of enantiopure bioactive pyrrolidines. This is exemplified by a short synthetic route to a known glycosidase inhibitor, (3R,4R)-4-(hydroxymethyl)pyrrolidin-3-ol and its enantiomer.

This paper presents a new approach to the preparation of enantiomerically pure (2S,3R)-3-methylalkan-2-ols, the esters of which are sex pheromones of several pine sawflies. Thus, an asymmetric 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between a sulfur containing 1,3-dipole and a dipolarophile attached to (1R)-camphorsultam containing a vinyl ether functionality furnished a 90:10 diastereomeric mixture of trans-3,4-disubstituted tetrahydrothiophene amides. The major one was converted to an enantiomerically pure tetrahydrothienylmethyl bromide, which was coupled with a monoalkylated dithiane unit. After Raney nickel reduction (2S,3R,7R,9S)-3,7,9-trimethyltridecan-2-ol was obtained, the acetate of which is the attractant sex pheromone component of Macrodiprion nemoralis. Because this new approach is quite efficient it can be valuable for the synthesis of similar compounds.