Highly enantio- and diastereoselective boron aldol reactions of α-heterosubstituted thioacetates with aldehydes and silyl imines

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(97)00251-2

Boron enolates derived from α-heterosubstituted thioacetates and bearing menthone-derived chiral ligands react with aldehydes to give anti aldols with excellent diastero- and enantiocontrol. Boron enolates derived from tert-butyl α-halothioacetate and bearing menthone-derived chiral ligands react with imines with excellent diastero- and enantiocontrol to give syn α-halo-β-aminothioesters, which can be converted to the corresponding aziridines by simple ring closure during LAH reduction. A key precursor of antibiotics (+)-thiamphenicol and (-)-florfenicol was synthesized.