Meso enantiotopic differentiation reaction

The first enantioselective total synthesis of (-)-denticulatin A was accomplished by W. Oppolzer. The key step in their approach was based on enantiotopic group differentiation in a meso dialdehyde by an aldol reaction. In the aldol reaction they utilized a bornanesultam chiral auxiliary. The enolization of A/-propionylbornane-10,2-sultam provided the (Z)-borylenolate derivative, which underwent an aldol reaction with the meso dialdehyde to afford the product with high yield and enantiopurity. In the final stages of the synthesis they utilized a second, double-dlastereoditferentiating aldol reaction. Aldol reaction of the (Z)-titanium enolate gave the anf/-Felkin syn product. The stereochemical outcome of the reaction was determined by the a-chiral center in the aldehyde component. 

Finally, reaction E in Fig. 4 illustrates a stereoselective synthesis that proceeds by differentiation of two enantiotopically related groups of a meso compound. Here, one hydroxyl group of d.s-1,2-cyclohexanediol is preferentially benzoylated in the presence of one molar equivalent of an enantiomerically pure diamine [26]. These desymmetrization reactions (that have many biological versions) are also called meso-tricks , and are currently receiving a great deal of attention for the preparation of new chiral building blocks [27]. 

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