Aldimines syn-anti selectivity

Crotyltins react regioselectively with a-alkylimines to give exclusively branched products with an excellent syn/anti selectivity up to 30 1, when the imine activation is conducted at —78 °C prior to the addition of the crotyltin. This selectivity which is consistent with an acyclic transition state is rapidly fading when operating at a higher temperature. This would be the result of an equilibrium between the two imine/Lewis acid complexes (equation 14). There are very few examples with a, /3-unsaturated aldimines, but it has to be noted that under TiCU activation, they are able to undergo a double nucleophilic addition of ketene silyl acetal and allyltributyltin to give the homoallylic amine in a reasonable yield . 

Some examples of combined syn-anti and diastereofacial selectivity employing /V-n-propyl- and N-isopropyl-aldimines, derived from a-phenylpropionaldehyde, and crotyl-9-BBN, -magnesium and -zirconium reagents have been reported by Yamamoto et al. Cram selectivity, which is observed in the analogous reactions of these chiral imines with allyl organometallics (see Section 4.3.2.1.2i), is preserved as ratios of Cram anti-Cram products are consistently about 8 1. Anti selectivity is also observed but the ratios do not exceed 7 3. The weak anti selectivity parallels that observed in reactions of crotyl-9-BBN with branched a-alkylaldimines. Since syn-anti selectivity is influenced more by the a-substituent than by the A-substituent of the aldimine, more synthetically useful levels of combined syn-anti and diastereofacial selectivity might be expected in other series of a-substituted aldimines. 

Table 16 Syn-Anti Selectivity in the Reactions of Allenic Organometallic Reagent (63) with Aldimines (64 Equation 15) ...

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