Enantioselectivity in Alkylation Reactions

The alkylation of an enolate creates a new stereogenic center when the a-substituents are nonidentical. In enantioselective synthesis, it is necessary to control the direction of approach and thus the configuration of the new stereocenter. 

Enantioselective enolate alkylation can be done using chiral auxiliaries. (See Section 2.6 of Part A to review the role of chiral auxiliaries in control of reaction stereochemistry.) The most frequently used are the A-acyloxazolidinones.89 The 4-isopropyl and 4-benzyl derivatives, which can be obtained from valine and phenylalanine, respectively, and the c -4-methyl-5-phenyl derivatives are readily available. Another useful auxiliary is the 4-phenyl derivative.90 

Several other oxazolidinones have been developed for use as chiral auxiliaries. The 4-isopropyl-5,5-dimethyl derivative gives excellent enantioselectivity.91 5,5-Diaryl derivatives are also quite promising.92 

The reactants are usually /V-acyl derivatives. The lithium enolates form chelate structures with Z-stereochemistry at the double bond. The ring substituents then govern the preferred direction of approach. 

In 12 the upper face is shielded by the isopropyl group, whereas in 13 the lower face is shielded by the methyl and phenyl groups. As a result, alkylation of the two derivatives gives products of the opposite configuration. The initial alkylation product ratios are typically 95 5 in favor of the major isomer. Since these products are diastereomeric mixtures, they can be separated and purified. Subsequent hydrolysis or alcoholysis provides acids or esters in enantiomerically enriched form. Alternatively, the acyl imides can be reduced to alcohols or aldehydes. The final products can often be obtained in greater than 99% enantiomeric purity. 

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