Sulfoximine ylides chiral

The few published attempts at the asymmetric epoxidation of carbonyl compounds with chiral sulfur ylides have been reviewed. Thus far, such processes have not been very useful synthetically. For example, reaction of benzaldehyde with an optically pure sulfoximine ylide only afforded an qioxide in 20% enantiomeric excess. More recently, chiral sulfur methylides have provided tra/i -stilbene oxides in up to 83% ee An example of optical induction observed in reactions t ng place with a chiral phase transfer reagent was reported, but later disputed. ... 

Chiral alkenyl and cycloalkenyl oxiranes are valuable intermediates in organic synthesis [38]. Their asymmetric synthesis has been accomplished by several methods, including the epoxidation of allyl alcohols in combination with an oxidation and olefination [39a], the epoxidation of dienes [39b,c], the chloroallylation of aldehydes in combination with a 1,2-elimination [39f-h], and the reaction of S-ylides with aldehydes [39i]. Although these methods are efficient for the synthesis of alkenyl oxiranes, they are not well suited for cycloalkenyl oxiranes of the 56 type (Scheme 1.3.21). Therefore we had developed an interest in the asymmetric synthesis of the cycloalkenyl oxiranes 56 from the sulfonimidoyl-substituted homoallyl alcohols 7. It was speculated that the allylic sulfoximine group of 7 could be stereoselectively replaced by a Cl atom with formation of corresponding chlorohydrins 55 which upon base treatment should give the cycloalkenyl oxiranes 56. The feasibility of a Cl substitution of the sulfoximine group had been shown previously in the case of S-alkyl sulfoximines [40]. 

N-Tosylsulfoximines and sulfilimines have successfully been used as sulfur ylide precursors in oxirane synthesis <85MI 103-02,85PS(24)53i, 92SR57). Using a chiral sulfoximine (S-neomenthyl-Af-tosyl oxosulfonium methylide), various aromatic aldehydes and ketones have been converted to oxiranes in relatively high enantiomeric excess (56-86% ee) (94TA1513). 

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