EASY PREPARATION OF ENANTIOPURE C-2-SYMMETRICAL AMINOALCOHOLS DERIVED FROM M-XYLYLENE DIAMINE

The title compounds were prepared by condensation of isophthaldehyde with chiral amino alcohols or alpha-amino esters in three different ways depending on the substitution pattern. These methods are: for N-substituted amino alcohols, by reduction of the epimeric mixtures of 1,3-oxazolidines formed in the condensation process; for unsubstituted ones, by reduction of the corresponding hydroxy imines, followed by N-alkylation; and for the imines obtained in the condensation with amino eaters, by sequential reduction and reaction with methylmagnesium iodide.