ASYMMETRIC OXIDATION OF ACHIRAL SELENIDES TO OPTICALLY ACTIVE SELENOXIDES. STEREOCHEMISTRY OF THE ALLYL SELENOXIDE-SELENENATE SIGMATROPIC REARRANGEMENT

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(01)96713-4

Asymmetric oxidation of methyl phenyl selenide (3), under anhydrous conditions, by chiral 2-sulfonyloxaziridines, 1-2, give optically active methyl phenyl selenoxide (8.1-9.3percent ee).The stereochemistry of the selenoxide is determined by the configuration of the oxaziridine three membered ring with nonbonded steric interactions responsible for the chiral recognition.Asymmetric oxidation of E-phenyl cinnamyl selenide (7) by 1-2 affords optically active 1-phenylallyl alcohol (9).A concerted <2,3> sigmatropic rearrangement via an exo transition state is proposed.