Directed aldol reaction simple diastereoselection

Marhwald reported that ligand exchange of Ti(rac-BINOLate)(Of-Bu)2 with optically active a-hydroxy acids presents an unexpected and novel approach to enantio-selective direct aldol reactions of aldehydes and ketones (Scheme 12.19). The aldol products have been isolated with a high degree of syn diastereoselectivity. High enantioselectivities have been observed when using simple optically pure a-hydroxy acids. 

Traditional models for diastereoface selectivity were first advanced by Cram and later by Felkin for predicting the stereochemical outcome of aldol reactions occurring between an enolate and a chiral aldehyde. [37] During our investigations directed toward a practical synthesis of dEpoB, we were pleased to discover an unanticipated bias in the relative diastereoface selectivity observed in the aldol condensation between the Z-lithium enolate B and aldehyde C, Scheme 2.6. The aldol reaction proceeds with the expected simple diastereoselectivity with the major product displaying the C6-C7 syn relationship shown in Scheme 2.7 (by ul addition) however, the C7-C8 relationship of the principal product was anti (by Ik addition). [38] Thus, the observed symanti relationship between C6-C7 C7-C8 in the aldol reaction between the Z-lithium enolate of 62 and aldehyde 63 was wholly unanticipated. These fortuitous results prompted us to investigate the cause for this unanticipated but fortunate occurrence. 

In the approaches toward a direct asymmetric Mannich reaction by enolate formation with the metal of the catalyst also, the well-proved systems of the analogous aldol reactions were widely applied. Here, it is referred to some of these protocols wherein a metal enolate is involved, as least as assumed and plausible intermediate [183]. Shibasaki and coworkers used a dinuclear zinc complex derived from linked BINOL ligand 371 for catalyst in direct Mannich reactions of a-hydroxy ketones 370 with Af-diphenylphosphinoyl imines 369 to give ti-configured a-hydroxy-P-amino ketones 372 in high yield, diastereoselectivity, and enantioselectivity (Scheme 5.97) [184]. The authors postulate the metal to form a chelated zinc enolate by double deprotonation of the a-hydroxy ketone. This enolate approaches with its Si-face to the Si-face of the imine, as illustrated by the transition state model 373, in agreement with the observed stereochemical outcome. It is remarkable that opposite simple diastereoselectivity arises from the Mannich reaction (anti-selective) and the previously reported syn-selective aldol reaction [185], although the zinc enolates... 

In investigations of double diastereodifferentiating Mukaiyama aldol reactions, Evans demonstrated that the coupling of end silane 195 either to aldehyde 196 or to aldehyde 198 affords the Felkin products 197 and 199, respectively, with excellent diastereoselectivity (Scheme 4.21) [36]. Because of the involvement of open transition states in these aldol reactions, no direct correlation was found between the starting end silane geometry and the observed simply selectivity (syn versus anti). This contrasts with the simple diastereoselectivity typically observed for cis- and trans-metal enolates that react through cyclic Zimmerman-Traxler transition states. By this strategy, the addition of enol silane 201 to 200 provided an advanced intermediate 202 in the synthesis of 6-deoxyerythronolide B (187, Scheme 4.22) [97]. 

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