Protonated C-acyl iminium ions

Synthetic applications of the aqueous aza Diels-Alder reaction with protonated C-acyl iminium ions... 

Evidence that this reduction proceeds mainly via an N-acyl iminium ion intermediate 120 was obtained by carrying out the triethylsilane reduction of 108 in deuterated trifluoroacetic acid (Scheme 49). As before, two C-4 epimeric protected kainoid analogues 121 and 122 were obtained, H NMR showing loss of the C-4 proton in both products accompanied by a simplification in the spin-spin coupling pattern of the C-5 protons.73 A close examination of the 2H NMR spectrum of each diastereoisomer did, however, reveal a trace of deuteration at C-5 indicating that a small percentage of the reduction also occurs via a benzylic carbocation intermediate 123 (Figure 12). 

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