2,3-epoxy alcohols amine nucleophiles, addition

Alcohols can be obtained from many other classes of compounds such as alkyl halides, amines, al-kenes, epoxides and carbonyl compounds. The addition of nucleophiles to carbonyl compounds is a versatile and convenient methc for the the preparation of alcohols. Regioselective oxirane ring opening of epoxides by nucleophiles is another important route for the synthesis of alcohols. However, stereospe-cific oxirane ring formation is prerequisite to the use of epoxides in organic synthesis. The chemistry of epoxides has been extensively studied in this decade and the development of the diastereoselective oxidations of alkenic alcohols makes epoxy alcohols with definite configurations readily available. Recently developed asymmetric epoxidation of prochiral allylic alcohols allows the enantioselective synthesis of 2,3-epoxy alcohols. 

It is well known 113,14 20 25> that the addition of hydroxyl-containing compounds (water, alcohols, phenols, acids) considerably promotes the interaction of epoxy compounds with amines and other nucleophilic reagents. In this case, the epoxy ring carbon atom becomes more sensitive to nucleophilic attack. The reaction proceeds through a trimolecular transition state initially suggested by Smith26 27) for the reactions of epoxy compounds with amines2... 

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