Efficient synthesis of Ephedra alkaloid analogues using an enantiomerically pure N-[(R)-(+)-alpha-methylbenzyl]aziridine-2-carboxaldehyde

Efficient preparation of enantiomerically pure (2S)-aziridine-2-carboxaldehyde 9 and its 2(R) isomer and highly diastereoselective addition of organolithium reagents to the aldehyde 9 are described. The diastereoselectivity in additions of the lithium reagents seems to come from ''chelation-controlled'' carbon-carbon bond formation and is influenced by the source of the organometallic compound, solvent, and the presence of a Li salt. The C(3)-N bond of the aziridine ring of the addition products was regioselectively reduced by catalytic hydrogenation in the presence of Pearlman's catalyst to provide enantiomerically pure 1,2-amino alcohols. The absolute stereochemistries of the amino alcohol 13a were assigned as (1S,2S) when the C-1 substituent was phenyl by comparison with those of commercially available norpseudoephedrine.