Shielding methyl groups

The stereochemical outcome of these electrophilic additions is consistent with a transition state in which the metal chelates the oxazolidinone carbonyl and the enolate oxygen. Reaction with an electrophile would, therefore, occur at the less hindered diastereotopic face of the (Z)-enolate, away from the shielding methyl groups of the auxiliary (Figure 24.6). Because both enantiomers of oxazolidinone 108 are equally available, the direction of the asymmetric induction can be controlled by proper choice of the absolute stereochemistry of the chiral auxiliary.106... 

Multiple bonds are revealed clearly by anisotropic effects. Textbook examples include alkynes, shielded along the C=C triple bond, and alkenes and carbonyl compounds, where the nuclei are deshielded in the plane of the C=C and C=0 double bonds, respectively One criterion for distinguishing methyl groups attached to the double bond of pulegone (31), for example, is the carbonyl anisotropic effect. 

In general, epoxidation of steroids with trans-anti-trans ring fusions leads to exclusive formation of the a-oxirane. Steroid Reactions lists examples of exclusive a-epoxide formation from 2-, 4-, 6-, 7-, 8(9)-, 14-, 16- and 17(20)-unsaturated steroids. Further examples of a-epoxidation of steroid 1-enes, 3-enes, 8-enes, 9(ll)-enes, 8(14)-enes and 16-enes have been reported. The preferred attack by the reagent on the a-side of the steroid nucleus can be attributed to shielding of the -side of the molecules by the two angular methyl groups. 

The C2 symmetry of sulfide 13 means that a single diastereomer is formed upon alkylation (Scheme 1.10). Attack from the Si face of the ylide is preferred as the Re face is shielded by the methyl group cis to the benzylidene group (28). Metzner postulates that this methyl group also controls the conformation of the ylide, as a steric clash in 27b renders 27a more favorable [16]. However, computational studies by Goodman revealed that 27a was not particularly favored over 27b, but it was substantially more reactive, thus providing the high enantioselectivity observed... 

When an additional methyl substituent is placed at C(3), there is a strong preference for alkylation anti to the 3-methyl group. This is attributed to the conformation of the enolate, which places the C(3) methyl in a pseudoaxial orientation because of allylic strain (see Part A, Section 2.2.1). The axial C(3) methyl then shields the lower face of the enolate.55... 

A crystal structure is available for the SnCl4 complex of 2-benzyloxy-3-pentanone.89 The steric shielding by the methyl group with respect to the C=0 is evident in this structure (Figure 2.1). NMR studies indicate that the reaction involves... 

In addition, X-ray diffraction analysis of related molecules reveals that in the sixth (formally unoccupied) position of the octahedron the metallic center is well shielded. Four of the 12 methyl groups of the phosphine ligands surround the metal like an umbrella. As a result of the shielding effect of the methyl groups, a bending of the phosphorus-metal-phosphorus axis is observed.24... 

Note too from the chemical shifts of these methyl groups that tin has quite a strong shielding effect. 

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