ASYMMETRIC ALDOL REACTIONS - A NOVEL MODEL FOR SWITCHING BETWEEN CHELATION-CONTROLLED AND NON-CHELATION-CONTROLLED ALDOL REACTIONS

A new camphor-based N-propionyloxazolidinethione provides remarkable levels of asymmetric induction for both chelation-and non-chelation-controlled aldol processes. While the aldol condensation of the derived di-n-butylboryl enolate with various aldehydes affords the 'Evans'' syn aldol with excellent diastereoselectivity, the chlorotitanium enolate gives the ''non-Evans' syn aldol expected from chelation control. Most noteworthy is the observation that the sense of facial selectivity from the chlorotitanium enolate of propionyloxazolidinethione is opposite to that obtained from propionyloxazolidinone. This important finding illustrates the importance of increased chelating potential of the enolate ligand, ring thiocarbonyl, in maximizing the aldol pi-facial discrimination. Final nondestructive chiral auxiliary removal via hydroperoxide-assisted hydrolysis and subsequent esterification provides enantiomerically pure methoxy-carbonyl aldols.