Asymmetric Synthesis of 2-Substituted Butyrolactones and Valerolactones

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo01302a009

The use of chiral oxazolines 1, 2, 5, and 8 under asymmetrically induced alkylation conditions gave α-substituted oxazolines 3, 6, 9, and 13 which were hydrolyzed to α-substituted butyro- and valerolactones 4 and 11.Either enantiomer of the lactones could be prepared in predictable absolute configuration by reversing the order of alkyl group introduction.The lactones were prepared in 60-86 percent enantiomeric excess which was determined by either chemical correlation or high-pressure liquid chromatography of the diastereomers 10.