Stereoselective C-N Ring Construction

Shu Kobayashi of the University of Tokyo developed (Adv. Synth. Cat. 2008, 350, 647) a practical protocol for the aza Diels-Alder construction of enantiomerically-pure piperidines such as 14. Biao Yu of the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry cyclized (Tetrahedron Lett. 2008, 49, 672) the product from the prohne-catalyzed enantioselective aldol of 15 and 16, leading to the substituted piperidine 17. Michael Shipman of the University of Warwick described (Tetrahedron Lett. 2008, 49, 250) the cyclization of the aziridine derived from 18, that proceeded to give 19 as a single diastereomer, apparently via kinetic side-chain protonation. 

Takeo Kawabata of Kyoto University found (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 4153) that intramolecular alkylation to form four, five and six-membered rings from amino esters such as 21 proceeded with remarkable enantioretention. 

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