Palladium-Catalyzed Reductive Ring Opening with Formic Acid of Aziridines Bearing an α,β-Unsaturated Ester Group

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(97)00817-X

The palladium-catalyzed reduction of various N-arenesulfonylaziridines bearing α,β-unsaturated ester groups with formic acid and the stereochemistry of the reaction products have been investigated in detail.In all cases examined, (Z)-α,β-enoates, (E)-α,β-enoates, and (E)-β,γ-enoates bearing amino functionality at the δ-position were obtained.The formation of these three reduction products was taken as an indication that palladium-catalyzed isomerization occurs to the reduction step.