0.75 mmol) was added in one portion, followed by slow addition of
the ketene (0.5 mmol). After stirring for 24 h, the reaction mixture
was diluted with ethyl acetate and passed through a short silica
pad. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure and the
residue was purified by chromatography on silica gel (petroleum
ether/ethylacetate, typically 100 : 1) to give the desired product.
Racemic samples for the standard of chiral HPLC spectra were
prepared using racemic NHC precursor rac-1a, prepared from
racemic pyroglutamic acid, as catalyst.
7.4 Hz, 3H); 13C NMR (CDCl3, 75 MHz): d 168.9, 160.0, 134.5 (q,
J = 1.5 Hz), 132.8, 130.2, 127.9, 127.7, 127.3 (q, J = 5.3 Hz), 126.4,
124.0, 123.7 (q, J = 32.3 Hz), 122.8 (q, J = 271.5 Hz), 114.2, 55.3,
29.5, 7.9; HRMS (ESI) calcd for C18H17F3NO3 [M+H]+ 352.1161,
found 352.1152; IR (KBr): n 2925, 1798, 1605, 1513, 1454, 1318,
1253, 1175, 1139, 1057, 1035, 834, 763 cm-1; [a]D20 -33.4 (CHCl3,
c = 1.0); H◦PLC analysis: 72% ee [Daicel CHIRALPAK AD-H
column; 20 C; 1.0 mL min-1; solvent system: 2-propanol/hexane =
1 : 99; retention times: 11.0 min (major), 16.8 min (minor)].
(-)-4-Ethyl-4-phenyl-2-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl) -1,2-oxaze-
tidin-3-one (4a)10. Yield: 141 mg, 88%; colorless oil; Rf 0.35
(petroleum ether/ethyl acetate = 20 : 1); H NMR (CDCl3, 300
(-)-4-Ethyl-4-m-tolyl-2-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-1,2-oxaze-
tidin-3-one (4e)10. Yield: 133 mg, 80%; colorless oil; Rf 0.35
(petroleum ether/ethyl acetate = 20 : 1); H NMR (CDCl3, 300
1
1
MHz): d 7.72 (d, J = 7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.67 (d, J = 8.1 Hz, 1H), 7.60–
7.55 (m, 3H), 7.49–7.36 (m, 4H), 2.44–2.20 (m, 2H), 1.16 (t, J =
7.2 Hz, 3H); 13C NMR (CDCl3, 75 MHz): d 168.7, 135.8, 134.5,
132.9, 128.9, 128.8, 128.1, 127.5 (q, J = 5.3 Hz), 124.9, 124.2,
123.8 (q, J = 32.3 Hz), 122.9 (q, J = 271.5 Hz), 101.9, 30.0, 7.9;
[a]D20 -47.8 (CHCl3, c = 1.0; literature:10 [a]D20 -39, CHCl3, c = 0.30);
HPLC analysis: 94% ee [Daicel CHIRALPAK AD-H column;
20 ◦C; 1.0 mL min-1; solvent system: 2-propanol/hexane = 1 : 99;
retention times: 5.9 min (major), 7.4 min (minor)].
MHz): d 7.72 (d, J = 7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.67 (d, J = 8.1 Hz, 1H), 7.58
(t, J = 7.5 Hz, 1H), 7.43–7.30 (m, 4H), 7.20–7.18 (m, 1H), 2.40 (s,
3H), 2.40–2.19 (m, 2H), 1.16 (t, J = 7.2 Hz, 3H); 13C NMR (CDCl3,
75 MHz): d 168.8, 138.7, 135.8, 134.6 (q, J = 1.5 Hz), 132.9, 129.6,
128.8, 128.0, 127.5 (q, J = 5.25 Hz), 125.5, 124.2, 123.8 (q, J =
32.3 Hz), 122.9 (q, J = 271.5 Hz), 122.0, 102.0, 30.1, 21.6, 7.9;
[a]D20 -47.8 (CHCl3, c = 1.0; literature:10 [a]D20 -36, CHCl3, c = 0.36);
HPLC analysis: 94% ee [Daicel CHIRALPAK AD-H column;
20 ◦C; 1.0 mL min-1; solvent system: 2-propanol/hexane = 1 : 99;
retention times: 5.4 min (major), 6.7 min (minor)].
(-)-4-(4-Chlorophenyl)-4-ethyl-2-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-
1,2-oxazetidin-3-one (4b). Yield: 96 mg, 54%; colorless oil; Rf
(-)-4-(2-Chlorophenyl)-4-ethyl-2-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-
1,2-oxazetidin-3-one (4f). Yield: 147 mg, 82%; colorless oil; Rf
1
0.30 (petroleum ether/ethyl acetate = 20 : 1); H NMR (CDCl3,
1
300 MHz): d 7.73 (d, J = 7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.66–7.56 (m, 2H), 7.51–
7.47 (m, 2H), 7.45–7.40 (m, 3H), 2.41–2.16 (m, 2H), 1.15 (t, J =
7.4 Hz, 3H); 13C NMR (CDCl3, 75 MHz): d 168.2, 134.8, 134.3,
134.2 (q, J = 0.75 Hz), 132.9, 129.0, 128.3, 127.5 (q, J = 5.3
Hz), 126.3, 124.3, 124.0 (q, J = 32.3 Hz), 122.8 (q, J = 271.5
Hz), 101.2, 29.8, 7.8; HRMS (ESI) calcd for C17H14ClF3NO2
[M+H]+ 356.0665, found 356.0667; IR (KBr): n 3459, 2922, 1798,
1634, 1492, 1454, 1318, 1270, 1174, 1141, 1093, 1057, 1036,
1015, 896, 830, 763, 657, 635 cm-1; [a]D20 -37.4 (CHCl3, c = 1.0);
HPLC analysis: 79% ee [Daicel CHIRALPAK AD-H column;
20 ◦C; 1.0 mL min-1; solvent system: 2-propanol/hexane = 1 : 99;
retention times: 7.6 min (major), 10.6 min (minor)].
0.38 (petroleum ether/ethyl acetate = 20 : 1); H NMR (CDCl3,
300 MHz): d 7.77–7.65 (m, 3H), 7.58 (t, J = 7.5 Hz, 1H), 7.48–
7.38 (m, 2H), 7.36–7.30 (m, 2H), 2.62–2.39 (m, 2H), 1.18 (t, J =
7.5 Hz, 3H); 13C NMR (CDCl3, 75 MHz): d 167.2, 134.2 (q, J = 1.5
Hz), 133.5, 132.9, 131.9, 131.3, 130.1, 128.2, 127.5 (q, J = 5.25 Hz),
127.3, 126.9, 124.3, 124.0 (q, J = 32.3 Hz), 122.9 (q, J = 271.5 Hz),
102.0, 28.7, 8.2; HRMS (ESI) calcd for C17H14ClF3NO2 [M+H]+
356.0665, found 356.0657; IR (KBr): n 3460, 1797, 1603, 1453,
1318, 1267, 1139, 1056, 1037, 759 cm-1; [a]D20 -36.0 (CHCl3, c = 1.0);
HPLC analysis: 90% ee [Daicel CHIRALPAK AD-H column; 20
◦C; 1.0 mL min-1; solvent system: 2-propanol/hexane = 1 : 99;
retention times: 6.7 min (minor), 7.6 min (major)].
(-)-4-Ethyl-4-p-tolyl-2-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-1,2-oxaze-
tidin-3-one (4c). Yield: 135 mg, 80%; colorless oil; Rf 0.35
(petroleum ether/ethyl acetate = 20 : 1); H NMR (CDCl3, 300
(-)-4-Ethyl-4-(naphthalen-1-yl)-2-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-
1,2-oxazetidin-3-one (4g)10. Yield: 150 mg, 81%; colorless oil; Rf
0.35 (petroleum ether/ethyl acetate = 20 : 1); H NMR (CDCl3,
1
1
MHz): d 7.72 (d, J = 7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.67 (d, J = 7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.57
(t, J = 7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.45–7.37 (m, 3H), 7.26–7.24 (m, 2H), 2.38
(s, 3H), 2.42–2.19 (m, 2H), 1.16 (t, J = 7.4 Hz, 3H); 13C NMR
(CDCl3, 75 MHz): d 168.9, 138.7, 134.5 (q, J = 1.5 Hz), 132.9,
132.8, 129.5, 128.0, 127.4 (q, J = 5.3 Hz), 124.9, 124.1, 123.7 (q,
J = 32.3 Hz), 122.9 (q, J = 271.5 Hz), 101.9, 29.8, 21.2, 7.8; HRMS
(ESI) calcd for C18H17ClF3NO2 [M+H]+ 336.1211, found 336.1210;
IR (KBr): n 3501, 1798, 1603, 1491, 1454, 1318, 1269, 1173, 1138,
1057, 1036, 893, 810, 763, 661 cm-1; [a]D20 -32.4 (CHCl3, c = 1.0);
HPLC analysis: 95% ee [Daicel CHIRALPAK AD-H column;
20 ◦C; 1.0 mL min-1; solvent system: 2-propanol/hexane = 1 : 99;
retention times: 6.6 min (major), 9.2 min (minor)].
300 MHz): d 8.22 (d, J = 8.1 Hz, 1H), 7.91–7.86 (m, 3H), 7.72
(d, J = 8.1 Hz, 1H), 7.65 (d, J = 8.1 Hz, 1H), 7.56–7.47 (m,
4H), 7.38 (t, J = 7.5 Hz, 1H), 2.59–2.50 (m, 2H), 1.21 (t, J =
7.4 Hz, 3H); 13C NMR (CDCl3, 75 MHz): d 167.4, 133.4 (q,
J = 1.5 Hz), 133.3, 131.8, 131.1, 128.7, 128.4, 127.9, 127.0, 126.4
(q, J = 5.25 Hz), 125.4, 125.2, 124.4, 123.9, 123.2, 122.8 (q, J =
32.3 Hz), 122.1, 121.9 (q, J = 271.5 Hz), 102.8, 29.9, 7.4; [a]D20
-27.4 (CHCl3, c = 1.0; literature:10 [a]D20 +36, CHCl3, c = 0.27);
HPLC analysis: 85% ee [Daicel CHIRALPAK AD-H column;
20 ◦C; 0.5 mL min-1; solvent system: 2-propanol/hexane = 1 : 99;
retention times: 13.7 min (minor), 16.1 min (major)].
(-)-4-Methyl-4-phenyl-2-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-1,2-oxaze-
tidin-3-one (4h)10. Yield: 53 mg, 35%; colorless oil; Rf 0.25
(-)-4-Ethyl-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-(2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-
1,2-oxazetidin-3-one (4d). Yield: 95 mg, 57%; colorless oil; Rf
1
(petroleum ether/ethyl acetate = 20 : 1); H NMR (CDCl3, 300
1
0.20 (petroleum ether/ethyl acetate = 20 : 1); H NMR (CDCl3,
MHz): d 7.76–7.69 (m, 2H), 7.64–7.57 (m, 3H), 7.49–7.37 (m,
4H), 2.07 (s, 3 H); 13C NMR (CDCl3, 75 MHz): d 169.2, 136.3,
134.5, 132.9, 129.0, 128.9, 128.2, 127.4 (q, J = 5.3 Hz), 124.9,
124.4, 124.1 (q, J = 32.3 Hz), 122.8 (q, J = 271.5 Hz), 98.3, 22.4;
300 MHz): d 7.72 (d, J = 7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.67 (d, J = 8.1 Hz, 1H),
7.58 (t, J = 7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.60–7.45 (m, 2H), 7.40 (t, J = 7.8 Hz,
1H), 6.99–6.94 (m, 2H), 3.83 (s, 3H), 2.42–2.19 (m, 2H), 1.16 (t, J =
This journal is
The Royal Society of Chemistry 2010
Org. Biomol. Chem., 2010, 8, 5007–5011 | 5009
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