Cope rearrangement amino alcohol synthesis

The use of a cationic aza-Cope rearrangement in concert with a Mannich cyclization has also been applied to the total synthesis of enantiomerically pure (—)-crinine (359) (205). In the event, nucleophilic opening of cyclopentenoxide with the aluminum amide that was formed on reaction of (/ )-a-methylbenzyl-amine and trimethylaluminum gave the amino alcohol 485 together with its (15,25) diastereomer. Although there was essentially no asymmetric induction in this process, the diastereomeric amino alcohols were readily separated by chromatography, and the overall procedure therefore constitutes an efficient means for the preparation of enantiomerically pure 2-amino alcohols from epoxides. When the hydrochloride salt derived from 485 was treated with paraformaldehyde and potassium cyanide, the amino nitrile 486 was formed. Subsequent Swem oxida-... 

---