Enantioselective protonation of prochiral enolates with chiral imides

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(98)00482-7

New chiral proton sources possessing an asymmetric 2-oxazoline ring, (S,S)-imide 1 and related imides, were synthesized from Kemp's triacid and optically active 2-amino alcohols. With these chiral imides, various lithium enolates of α-monoalkylated cycloalkanones were effectively protonated with excellent to moderate enantioselectivity. An increase in enantioselectivity was observed in the asymmetric protonation of prochiral enolates with (S,S)- imide 1 using lithium salt as an additive. For example, (R)-enriched 2-n- pentylcyclopentanone 35 was obtained in high yield with 90% ee when the silyl enol ether 33 was treated with n-BuLi in the presence of 5 equiv of LiBr in Et₂O, and the resulting lithium enolate 34 was then protonated by a solution of (S,S)-imide 1 in THF. In contrast, the product 35 obtained without LiBr exhibited a lower enantiomeric excess (74% ee).