A New Chiral Glycine Synthon. Synthesis, X-Ray Structure of (-)-(2S,4R)-2-Ethoxycarbonyl-4-phenyl-1,3-oxazolidine and Diastereoselective Nucleophilic Ring Opening to (R)-Ethyl α-Amino Carboxylates.

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(00)61274-1

Condensation of (R)-N-benzyl-2-phenylglycinol 1 with the methyl hemiacetal of ethyl glyoxylate leads to (2S,4R)-2-ethoxycarbonyl-4-phenyl-1,3-oxazolidine 2 as the major product, obtained as a pure enantiomer after column chromatography.Compound 2 is stereoselectively cleaved by dialkylzinc reagents, prepared from alkylmagnesium iodides and ZnCl2, with moderate to good d.e. (72-94 percent).These compounds, after separation by column chromatography and debenzylation by hydrogenolysis in the presence of 10percent Pd on carbon, lead to enantiomerically pure ethyl α-amino carboxylates with good chemical yields. Key words: Chiral Oxazolidines, alpha-amino Esters, Chiral Glycine Synthon, Ring Opening, Asymmetric Synthesis