Chiral lithium amide base-mediated rearrangement of meso-cyclohexene oxides: asymmetric synthesis of amino- and aziridinocyclohexenols

Two different chiral lithium amide base routes for the synthesis of amino- and aziridino-containing cyclohexenols have been explored. The first strategy involved the diastereoselective preparation of novel meso-aziridinocyclohexene oxides and their subsequent enantioselective rearrangement using chiral bases. In this approach, the diphenylphosphinoyl nitrogen protecting group proved optimal and aziridinocyclohexenols of 47–68% ee were obtained. Of particular note was the smooth rearrangement of the epoxide to an allylic alcohol in the presence of an aziridine: under optimised chiral base conditions, the aziridine remained essentially unaffected. A second more straightforward strategy for introduction of an amino functionality was also investigated: (1S,4R,5S)- and (1R,4R,5S)-4,5-bis(tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy)cyclohex-2-enols, readily prepared in >95% ee using a chiral base approach, were subjected to Mitsunobu substitution using a sulfonamide and Overman rearrangement.