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The stereoselective and short-step synthesis of N-protected allo-carnosadine, ent-carnosadine, and carnosadine lactam was accomplished from a common cyclopropane intermediate. The inter-intramolecular double alkylation of diethyl malonate with an optically active 2-methylaziridine derivative gave the key cyclopropane in excellent yield and optical purity. The following monohydrolysis of the diester moiety using different reaction conditions provided both diastereomers of monoacids, which were converted to three carnosadine derivatives in 5-6 steps from the common diester.

Brønsted acid- and/or Lewis acid-catalyzed selective C3-allylation and formal [3 + 2]-annulation of spiro-aziridine oxindoles with allylsilanes have been demonstrated to deliver direct access to 3-allyl-3-aminomethyl oxindoles and 5-silyl methyl spiro[pyrrolidine-3,3'-oxindoles], respectively. The acid-catalyzed methods do not provide any stereoselectivity when chiral spiroaziridines are used. However, the reaction of nonracemic sprioaziridines with allyl-Grignard reagent under catalyst-free conditions afforded 3-allyl-3-aminomethyl oxindoles with good stereoselectivity (ee up to 80%). The allylation protocol is utilized for the short synthesis of coerulescine and various 5'-substituted spiro[pyrrolidine-3,3'-oxindoles].

An intramolecular formal [3+2] cycloaddition of activated aziridines and epoxides with electron-deficient alkene has been developed for the general and efficient construction of bridged aza- and oxa-[

The first direct general method for

Despite previous studies within the epothilone field, only one member of this compound family, ixabepilone, made it to approval for clinical use. Recent advances in organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry allow further optimization of lead epothilone analogues aiming to improve their potencies and other pharmacological properties as part of the quest for discovery and development of new anticancer drugs, including antibody-drug conjugates as potential targeted cancer therapies. Herein, we report the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a series of new epothilone B analogues equipped with novel structural motifs, including fluorine-containing residues, 12,13-difluorocyclopropyl moieties, mono- and dimethylated macrolactones, and 1-keto macrocyclic systems, as well as two N-substituted ixabepilone analogues in which the 12,13-epoxide and macrolactam NH moieties were replaced, the former with a substituted aziridine moiety and the latter with an NCO-alkyl residue (imide or carbamate). Biological evaluation of these analogues revealed a number of exceptionally potent epothilone B analogues, demonstrating the potency enhancing effects of the fluorine residues and the aziridinyl moiety within the structure of the epothilone molecule and providing new and useful structure-activity relationships within this class of compounds.

A broad range of

Enantioselective synthesis of cytotoxic indole alkaloid (+)-subincanadine F was accomplished starting from the corresponding ( S)-acetoxysuccinimide via aziridinium ring formation and its reductive ring expansion route. Regioselective and stereoselective reductive aziridinium carbon-nitrogen bond cleavage comprising ring expansions was a key step. The ( S)-OMOM protection of the hydroxyl moiety adjacent to a benzylic carbon of an in situ formed aziridinium system was necessary for lithium borohydride-induced reductive ring expansions, and it also served as a latent source of an essential ketone carbonyl group for the generation of an α,β-conjugated system.

A selective aziridinium ring-opening was used to etherify an α-aryl-β-amino alcohol with stereochemical retention. This transformation was achieved in a biphasic system to address phenoxide solubility and the formation of a sulfonate ester impurity. The protecting group strategy was directed by a stability study of the activated α-aryl-β-amino alcohol in this system. Process analytical techniques were used to establish reaction understanding, and mixing on large scale was modeled in silico. The process provided a selective and efficient method of preparing the nonsteroidal, inhaled selective glucocorticoid receptor modulator AZD7594.

Novel 3,4-dihydro-1,4-benzoxazine derivatives have been synthesized by an efficient and simple method in excellent enantio- and diastereospecificity (ee > 99%, de > 99%). The reaction proceeds via Lewis acid-catalyzed SN2-type ring opening of activated aziridines with 2-halophenols followed by Cu(I)-catalyzed intramolecular C–N cyclization in a stepwise fashion under one-pot conditions to furnish the 3,4-dihydro-1,4-benzoxazine derivatives in excellent yields (up to 95%). The strategy offers a short and efficient synthesis to (S)-3-methyl-1,4-benzoxazine (S)-3v, a late stage intermediate in the synthesis of levofloxacin.

Olefin aziridination via organocatalytic nitrene transfer offers potential complementarity to metal-catalyzed methods; however there is a lack of reports of such reactions in the literature. Herein is reported a method that employs an iminium salt to catalyze the aziridination of styrenes by [ N-( p-toluenesulfonyl)imino]phenyliodinane (PhINTs). These reactions are hypothesized to proceed via a diaziridinium salt as the active oxidant. In addition to outlining the scope and limitations of the method, evidence for a polar, stepwise mechanism is presented, which provides new insight into the nature of iminium catalysis of nitrene transfer.

The generation of common and stereochemically rich medium-sized benzo-fused sultams via complementary pairing of heretofore-unknown (o-fluoroaryl)sulfonyl aziridine building blocks with an array of amino alcohols/amines in a modular one-pot, sequential protocol using an aziridine ring opening and intramolecular nucleophilic aromatic substitution is reported. The strategy employs a variety of amino alcohols/amines and proceeds with 6 + 4/6 + 5 and 6 + 1 cycloetherification pathways in a highly chemo- and regioselective fashion to obtain skeletally and structurally diverse, polycyclic, 10- to 11- and 7-membered benzo-fused sultams for broad-scale screening.

A multicomponent trans-aziridination of aldehydes, amines, and diazo compounds with BOROX catalysts is developed. The optimal protocol is slightly different for aryl aldehydes than for aliphatic aldehydes. The key to the success with aryl aldehydes was allowing the catalyst, aldehyde, and amine to react for 20 min before addition of the diazo compound. A variety of 11 different electron-poor and electron-rich aryl aldehydes were screened to give trans-aziridines in 73-90% yield with 82-99% ee and trans/cis selectivities of 19:1 to99:1. The optimal protocol for the trans-aziridination of aliphatic aldehydes did not require prereaction of the catalyst, aldehyde, and amine, and instead, the diazo compound could be added directly. The scope of the reaction is limited to unbranched aliphatic aldehydes and was tolerant of a number of functional groups including ethers, esters, epoxides, carbamates, and phthalimides. A total of 10 aliphatic aldehydes were examined and found to give trans-aziridines in 60-88% yield with 60-98% ee and trans/cis selectivities of 6:1 to99:1. Alkenyl aldehydes did not react, but an alkynyl aldehyde gave a 71% yield and 95% ee of an aziridine that was found to be the cis- and not the trans-diastereomer. The aryl and aliphatic aldehydes both gave the trans-aziridines with the same absolute configuration with the same catalyst; however, in those cases where cis-aziridines were formed, the configuration was opposite for those formed from aryl versus aliphatic aldehydes.

The Lewis base-catalyzed double nucleophilic substitution reaction of N-tosylaziridinofullerene with various ureas allows the easy preparation of fulleroimidazolidinones with a high tolerance for functional groups. Alkyl-substituted ureas show better reactivity than aryl-substituted ureas.

The factors determining diastereoselectivity observed in the multicomponent conversion of amino acids, aziridine aldehyde dimers, and isocyanides into chiral piperazinones have been investigated. Amino acid-dependent selectivity for either trans- or cis-substituted piperazinone products has been achieved. An experimentally determined diastereoselectivity model for the three-component reaction driven by aziridine aldehyde dimers has predictive value for different substrate classes. Moreover, this model is useful in reconciling the previously reported observations in multicomponent reactions between isocyanides, α-amino acids, and monofunctional aldehydes.

A general study is undertaken to examine the scope of the reductive ring opening of aziridine-2-carboxylates with samarium diiodide. The competition between C-C and C-N bond cleavage is examined as a function of the nature of the N-substituent of the aziridine, the nature of the substituent in the 3-position of the aziridine, and whether the substituent in the 3-position is in a cis or trans relationship with the carboxylate in the 2-position. The desired C-N bond cleavage leads to β-amino esters that are the predominant products for most aziridines with an N-activating group. However, C-C cleavage products are observed with an aryl group in the 3-position; this can be particularly pronounced with cis-aziridines where a nearly equal mixture of the two is observed. Exclusive formation of the C-N cleavage product is observed for all aziridines with the strongly N-activating p-toluene sulfonate group. Similarly high selectivity is observed for the 2-trimethylsilylethyl sulfonate group (SES), which is easier to remove. The utility of these methods is illustrated in the synthesis of protected forms of (R)-β(3)-DOPA and L-DOPA from the same aziridine, the former by SmI2-mediated reductive opening at C-2 and the latter by palladium-mediated reductive opening at C-3.

A simple and unpredicted synthetic pathway toward racemic and scalemic tetrahydrodibenzoimidazoazepines has been invented serendipitously proceeding through an S(N)2-type ring-opening of N-activated aziridines with 2-bromobenzylamine followed by a hitherto unprecedented cascade cyclization reaction sequence comprising a Cu-catalyzed cross dehydrogenation C-N coupling and an Ullmann C-C bond formation reaction. The tetrahydrobenzoxazepine and the tetrahydrobenzothiazepine derivatives have also been synthesized via the ring-opening of aziridines with 2-bromobenzyl alcohols and -mercaptan, respectively, followed by Cu-catalyzed N-arylation reaction.

The diastereomeric aziridine carbinols are applied, respectively, as efficient chiral ligand in the catalysis of asymmetric arylation and sequential arylation-lactonization cascade. The two diastereomers, which are facilely synthesized from the same chiral source, function as pseudo enantiomers in arylation of aromatic aldehydes providing the different enantiomers of the diarylmethanols with almost the same excellent enantioselectivities. The arylation method is also carried out in tandem with lactonization process to afford a concise synthetic approach to both enantiomers of optically active 3-aryl phthalide.

2,2,3-Trisubstituted aziridines are known to undergo ring opening at the more substituted carbon under mildly basic conditions. However, the reason for the formation of the more sterically encumbered product has never been examined. Several trisubstituted aziridines, with different substitution patterns at the C-2 and C-3 carbons, were synthesized to change the electronics of the aziridine ring system. These changes had no effect on the regioselectivity of the ring-opening reaction. Using the B3LYP/6-31G* DFT basis set it was determined that the transition state for opening at the more substituted carbon proceeds at a lower energy than the transition state at the less substituted carbon.

The BF3·Et2O-catalyzed formal [3 + 2] reaction of aziridinofullerenes with various carbonyl compounds for the easy preparation of fullerooxazolidines has been developed. Moreover, the reaction of aziridinofullerene with ethyl formate affords the simplest fullerooxazole without substituent.

Monodisperse amphiphilic oligoethyleneimine (OEI)-β-cyclodextrin (βCD) clusters have been prepared, and their potential as gene delivery systems has been evaluated in comparison with a nonamphiphilic congener. The general prototype incorporates tetraethyleneimine segments linked to the primary rim of βCD through either triazolyl or thioureidocysteaminyl connectors. Transfection efficiency data for the corresponding CD:pDNA nanocomplexes (CDplexes) in BNL-CL2 murine hepatocytes evidenced the strong beneficial effect of facial amphiphilicity.

An efficient and practical strategy for the synthesis of highly functionalized racemic and non-racemic 4,5-dihydropyrroles via domino ring-opening cyclization (DROC) of activated aziridines with malononitrile in excellent yield and stereoselectivity is described. The reaction serves as a tool for the synthesis of a large variety of substituted 4,5-dihydropyrroles in enantiomerically pure forms.

A simple strategy for the synthesis of chiral α,β-diamino- and α-amino,β-hydroxy ester derivatives in high yields with moderate to high ee has been developed via asymmetric imino-aldol and aldol reactions, respectively, starting from protected aminoesters employing memory of chirality concept for chiral induction. This strategy has been extended for the enantioselective synthesis of aziridines (ee up to 92%). The absolute configuration of the imino-aldol adducts has been determined. The stereochemical outcome of the products has been explained by a suitable mechanism and supported by computational studies.

A cheap and reliable process for the modified Wenker cyclization to afford aziridines has been achieved using biphasic conditions for a range of amino alcohol starting materials. A 100 mmol "one-pot" process has also been devised, and the enantiopurity of the starting amino alcohol is retained in the aziridine product.

A five-component catalyst assembly/aziridination reaction is described starting from an aldehyde, an amine, ethyl diazoacetate, B(OPh)(3), and a molecule of a vaulted biaryl ligand (VAPOL or VANOL). A remarkable level of chemo-selectivity was observed since, while 10 different products could have resulted from various reactions between the five components, an aziridine was formed in 85% yield and 98% ee and only two other products could be detected in 3% yield. Studies reveal that the first in a sequence of three reactions is an exceedingly rapid amine-induced assembly of an amino-BOROX chiral Brønsted acid species from VAPOL and B(OPh)(3), which is followed by imine formation from the amine and aldehyde and the concomitant formation of an imino-BOROX chiral Brønsted acid and finally the reaction of the imine with ethyl diazoacetate mediated by the imino-BOROX catalyst to give aziridine-2-carboxylic esters with very high diastereo- and enantioselectivity.

Lewis base catalysis promotes the in situ generation of amine-HF reagents from benzoyl fluoride and a non-nucleophilic alcohol. The hydrofluorination of aziridines to provide β-fluoroamines using this latent HF source is described. This protocol displays a broad scope with respect to aziridine substitution and N-protecting groups. Examples of regio- and diastereoselective ring opening to access medicinally relevant β-fluoroamine building blocks are presented.

The reactivity of 2-bromomethyl-2-methylaziridines toward oxygen, sulfur, and carbon nucleophiles in different solvent systems was investigated. Remarkably, the choice of the solvent has a profound influence on the reaction outcome, enabling the selective formation of either functionalized aziridines in dimethylformamide (through direct bromide displacement) or azetidines in acetonitrile (through rearrangement via a bicyclic aziridinium intermediate). In addition, the experimentally observed solvent-dependent behavior of 2-bromomethy1-2-methylaziridines was further supported by means of DFT calculations.

The syntheses and reactivity of N-TBDPS and N-trityl protected derivatives of an aziridinomitosene corresponding to FK317 are described. New reactivity patterns were observed for these highly sensitive and functionally dense heterocycles under mild nucleophilic conditions approaching the threshold for degradation. Thus, the silyl or trityl protected aziridinomitosene reacted with Cs(2)CO(3)/CD(3)OD to give isomeric products where substitution occurred at C(10) and C(9a) (mitomycin numbering) providing a CD(3) ether and a CD(3) hemiaminal, respectively. These findings show that heterolysis at C(10) is faster than at aziridine C(1), in contrast to the behavior of typical aziridinomitosenes in the mitomycin series. The labile N-TBDPS hemiaminal and the more stable N-trityl hemiaminal resemble the mitomycin K substitution pattern. A reagent consisting of CsF in CF(3)CH(2)OH/CH(3)CN desilylated a simple N-TBDPS aziridine but caused nucleophilic cleavage at C(1) as well as C(10) without cleavage of the N-TBPDS group in the fully functionalized penultimate aziridinomitosene. The high reactivity of the C(10) carbamate with nucleophiles precludes the use of deprotection methodology that requires N-protonation for fully functionalized aziridinomitosenes in the FK317 series.

The preparation of optically pure α-trifluoromethyl-α-amino acids from N-tosyl-2-trifluoromethyl-2-alkyloxycarbonylaziridine is described. Optically pure aziridine was prepared with a 60% yield via three steps from optically pure 2,3-epoxy-1,1,1-trifluoropropane (TFPO). Ring-opening reactions of the aziridine with a variety of nucleophiles and subsequent deprotection of the N-tosyl moieties gave the optically pure β-substituted-α-trifluoromethyl-α-amino acids in moderate to good yields (up to 85%) without racemization at the quaternary stereogenic center of the amino acid.

The difference in reactivity between the activated 2-bromomethyl-1-tosylaziridine and the nonactivated 1-benzyl-2-(bromomethyl)aziridine with respect to sodium methoxide was analyzed by means of DFT calculations within the supermolecule approach, taking into account explicit solvent molecules. In addition, the reactivity of epibromohydrin with regard to sodium methoxide was assessed as well. The barriers for direct displacement of bromide by methoxide in methanol are comparable for all three heterocyclic species under study. However, ring opening was found to be only feasible for the epoxide and the activated aziridine, and not for the nonactivated aziridine. According to these computational analyses, the synthesis of chiral 2-substituted 1-tosylaziridines can take place with inversion (through ring opening/ring closure) or retention (through direct bromide displacement) of configuration upon treatment of the corresponding 2-(bromomethyl)aziridines with 1 equiv of a nucleophile, whereas chiral 2-substituted 1-benzylaziridines are selectively obtained with retention of configuration (via direct bromide displacement). Furthermore, the computational results showed that explicit accounting for solvent molecules is required to describe the free energy profile correctly. To verify the computational findings experimentally, chiral 1-benzyl-2-(bromomethyl)aziridines and 2-bromomethyl-1-tosylaziridines were treated with sodium methoxide in methanol. The presented work concerning the reactivity of 2-bromomethyl-1-tosylaziridine stands in contrast to the behavior of the corresponding 1-tosyl-2-(tosyloxymethyl)aziridine with respect to nucleophiles, which undergoes a clean ring-opening/ring-closure process with inversion of configuration at the asymmetric aziridine carbon atom.

Chiral quaternary ammonium salt-catalyzed diastereoselective aziridination of electron-deficient olefins that possess a chiral auxiliary with N-chloro-N-sodiocarbamates was developed. The key to high stereoselectivity was found to be the employment of the "matching" stereochemical combination of chiral auxiliary/ammonium salt. For example, when 3-phenyl-(4R,7S)-4-methyl-7-isopropyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindazole (L-menthopyrazole) as a chiral auxiliary and a cinchonidine-derived chiral ammonium salt as a catalyst were applied to the reaction system, perfect diastereoselectivity was realized. Furthermore, the preparation of enantiomerically pure aziridines by removal of the chiral auxiliary was demonstrated.

We herein report a simple and convenient one-pot synthesis of highly substituted 2-imidazolines in a regiocontrolled and stereospecific matter through the ring expansion reaction of an imidoyl chloride with an aziridine, analogous to the Heine reaction.

[Ag(COD)(2)]PF(6) catalyzes the ring-opening of N-tosylaziridines and -azetidines with alcohols, amines, thiols, and related tethered 1,2-ethane dinucleophiles. Initial rate studies and DFT-based evaluation of stepwise energetics suggest an inverse relationship between the nucleophilic reactivity of a heteroatom donor and its binding affinity to cationic Ag(I).

2-(2-Cyano-2-phenylethyl)aziridines were converted into novel cis- and trans-2-chloromethyl-4-phenylpiperidine-4-carbonitriles via alkylation with 1-bromo-2-chloroethane followed by microwave-assisted 6-exo-tet cyclization and regiospecific ring opening. The latter piperidines were used as eligible substrates for the synthesis of stereodefined 2-chloromethyl-, 2-hydroxymethyl-, and 2-carboxymethyl-4-phenylpiperidine-4-carboxylic acids, 2-hydroxymethyl-4-phenylpiperidine-4-carbonitriles, 3-hydroxy-5-phenylazepane-5-carbonitriles, and 5-phenyl-2,7-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes.

Aziridinemethanol sulfonate esters react with tetrathiomolybdate 1 to give thiirane derivatives as the major product and cyclic disulfides as minor product under mild reaction conditions via an unprecedented thia-aza-Payne-type rearrangement. Interestingly, when the reaction of 1 was carried out with 2-aziridino-cyclohexanol derivatives it resulted in the formation of thia-bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane or dithia-bicyclo[3.2.1]octane derivatives.

The asymmetric catalytic aziridination reaction (AZ reaction) of imines derived from dianisylmethyl (DAM) amine and tetra-methyldianisylmethyl (MEDAM) amine were examined with boroxinate catalysts prepared from both the VANOL and VAPOL ligands. This included an evaluation of different protocols for the preparation of the catalyst. The AZ reaction of DAM and MEDAM imines prepared from nine different aryl and aliphatic aldehydes were examined. The MEDAM imines were superior to the DAM imines in the AZ reaction, giving much higher asymmetric inductions and higher overall yields of aziridines. The MEDAM imines were found to also be superior to the previously studied diphenylmethyl (benzhydryl or Bh) and tetra-tert-butyldianisylmethyl (BUDAM) imines especially for imines derived from aliphatic aldehydes. The average asymmetric induction over the nine different MEDAM imines studied was 97% ee with the VAPOL catalyst and 96% ee with the VANOL catalyst. The MEDAM imines can be deprotected to give N-H aziridines in all cases except for some electron-rich aryl aldehydes. The MEDAM imines are much more reactive than benzhydryl imines, and this was most evident when a diazoacetate ester is replaced by a diazoacetamide. The less reactive diazoacetamides give very low yields in their reactions with benzhydryl imines but high yields with MEDAM imines.

An efficient and versatile solid-phase route for the preparation of aryl-alkyl ethers is described. Regioselective ring opening of a resin-bound chiral aziridine with phenolic nucleophiles constitutes the key feature of the present protocol that allows incorporation of fluorescent moieties and subsequent on-resin protecting group interconversion. Initial experiments demonstrated that a competing oligomerization may occur by concomitant attacks of transient nosylamide anions on neighboring aziridines, resulting in formation of dimeric and trimeric byproduct. Expectedly, the significance of this alternative reaction pathway was strongly dependent on resin loading, and a low loading (

A novel palladium(0)-catalyzed domino cyclization of 2-alkynylaziridines with isocyanates through ring expansion is described. Treatment of N-protected 2-(4-aminobut-1-ynyl)aziridine derivatives with a catalytic amount of Pd(PPh(3))(4) and aryl isocyanates in THF at room temperature affords 4-(4,5-dihydropyrrol-2-yl)imidazolidin-2-one derivatives in good yields. Interestingly, bis-adducts were selectively obtained by use of excess isocyanate (5 equiv) at lower reaction temperature.

Aziridines are useful precursors to the azomethine ylide family of 1,3-dipoles whose cycloaddition chemistry has been extensively exploited in the synthesis of heterocyclic targets. The torquoselectivity of aziridines that lack a plane of symmetry was investigated as an essential component of the calculation of the overall relative reaction rates and in prediction of the stereochemistry of the 2,3-trans compounds in 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition chemistry. It has been found at the MP2(Full)/6-311++G(d,p)//MP2(Full)/6-31+G(d) level that outward rotation is preferred for electronegative or anionic substituents while electropositive and cationic substituents favor inward rotation. After consideration of frontier molecular orbital theory, inductive, resonance, and electrostatic effects, an explanation of the preferred direction of rotation during ring cleavage that is based on substituent electron-withdrawing ability by means of a polar effect is presented.

A novel, totally regioselective transformation of aromatic N-4-methoxyphenylaziridine 2-carboxamides into 2-aminoamides promoted by active manganese (Mn*) is reported. alpha-Amino ketones can be readily obtained by reaction of morpholine-derived 2-aminoamides with organolithium compounds.

A highly regioselective Lewis acid-mediated S(N)2-type ring-opening of N-sulfonylaziridines and azetidines with tetraalkylammonium halides in CH(2)Cl(2) solution to afford 1,2- and 1,3-haloamines in excellent yields is described. An easy diastereoselective route toward substituted chiral N-tosylaziridines has been developed. The mechanism of ring-opening via S(N)2 pathway has been confirmed by the formation of chiral haloamines with excellent er and dr. Chloroamines obtained from 2,3-disubstituted aziridines were converted to the chiral N-tosylamines via radical dehalogenation.

A practical and stereoselective synthesis of the tubuvaline-tubuphenylalanine (Tuv-Tup) fragment of tubulysin is achieved involving the opening of aziridine, crucial MacMillan alpha-hydroxylation on both fragments, and an epoxide-opening reaction.

A highly regio- and stereoselective strategy for the syntheses in high yield and enantioselectivity of a variety of substituted nonracemic morpholines and their homologues is described. The reaction proceeds via an S(N)2-type ring opening of activated aziridines and azetidines by suitable halogenated alcohols in the presence of Lewis acid followed by base-mediated intramolecular ring closure of the resulting haloalkoxy amine.

Aziridines are broadly used as starting materials for various chemical syntheses, and the underlying reactions (CN vs CC bond breaking accompanied by an attack of a nucleophile or a dipolarophile) are strongly influenced by the substitution pattern. The present study investigates reaction courses of possible ring-opening reactions accompanied by the attack of a nucleophile for different substitution patterns of the aziridine. Information is obtained through the computation of the underlying potential energy surfaces and reaction paths. The results provide insight into the mechanisms of different ring-opening reactions and explain how the kinetics and thermodynamics of the reaction are influenced by substituents. This allows predicting substitution patterns that steer the reaction course to either CN or CC bond cleavage.

(R)-N-sulfinylimine and (S)-N-sulfinylimine react with the ylide derived from (S)-dimethyl-[2-(p-toluenesulfinyl)phenyl]sulfonium salt, affording trans-2,3-disubstituted aziridines. A complete trans selectivity in low facial diastereoselectivity is observed when the configuration at the sulfur atoms of the reagents is the same. Otherwise, when their configurations are different, the reaction evolved with total facial diastereoselectivity and the cis/trans ratio ranged between 1/4.2 and 1/9. Theoretical calculations indicate the reaction proceeds mainly by evolution of a planar free carbanion. The relative stability of the transition states predicts a trans/cis ratio that is in excellent agreement with the experimental results.

The scope of dimerization and isomerization reactions of alpha-lithiated terminal aziridines is detailed. Regio- and stereoselective deprotonation of simple terminal aziridines with lithium 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide (LTMP) or lithium dicyclohexylamide (LiNCy2) generates trans-alpha-lithiated terminal aziridines. These latter species can then undergo dimerization or isomerization reactions depending on the nature of the N-protecting group. alpha-Lithiated terminal aziridines bearing N-alkoxycarbonyl (Boc) protection undergo N- to C-[1,2] migration to give N-H trans-aziridinylesters. In contrast, aziridines bearing N-organosulfonyl [tert-butylsulfonyl (Bus)] protection undergo rapid dimerization to give 2-ene-1,4-diamines or, if a pendant alkene is present, diastereoselective cyclopropanation to give 2-aminobicyclo[3.1.0]hexanes. All of these reactions were used as key steps in the preparation of synthetically and biologically important targets.

A straightforward synthesis toward 2-fluorinated aziridines was developed via ring closure of beta-fluorinated beta-chloroamines, which were obtained via reduction of the corresponding alpha-fluorinated amides by borane. When 1-benzyl-2-fluoroaziridine was treated with methanol, reaction occurred at the 2-position, giving rise to N-benzyl-2,2-dimethoxyethylamine, while in the case of 1-benzyl-2,2-difluoroaziridine the 3-position was attacked, giving rise to N-benzyl-2-methoxyacetamide. These reactions point to the divergent reactive behavior of monofluoro- and difluoroaziridines.

Mannich-type addition of benzophenone imine glycinates across newly synthesized N-(p-toluenesulfonyl) alpha-chloroaldimines afforded gamma-chloro-alpha,beta-diamino ester derivatives with moderate diastereoselectivity as separable mixtures of anti and syn diastereomers. The gamma-chloro-alpha,beta-diamino esters were efficiently cyclized under basic conditions to the corresponding beta,gamma-aziridino alpha-amino ester derivatives, representing a new class of conformationally constrained heterocyclic alpha,beta-diamino acid derivatives. The relative configuration of the aziridines was determined via X-ray diffraction analysis. Mechanisms and intermediate transition states to explain the stereochemical outcome of the Mannich reaction with different substrates or under different conditions are proposed. The synthetic importance of the beta,gamma-aziridino alpha-amino ester derivatives is demonstrated by their conversion into the corresponding Boc-protected derivatives and ring opening reactions to alpha,beta-diamino esters and a gamma-amino alpha,beta-unsaturated amino ester.

1-Arylmethyl-2-(bromomethyl)aziridines were transformed into novel 2-(2-cyanoethyl)aziridines upon treatment with alpha-lithiated trimethylsilylacetonitrile in THF in an efficient and straightforward approach. The latter aziridines underwent ring opening by reaction with benzyl bromide in acetonitrile, affording 5-amino-4-bromopentanenitriles through a regiospecific ring opening of intermediate aziridinium salts by bromide. Further elaboration of these gamma-bromonitriles resulted in the synthesis of novel 2-[N,N-bis(arylmethyl)aminomethyl]cyclopropanecarbonitriles in high yields by means of a 1,3-cyclization protocol upon treatment with KOtBu in THF.

Aliphatic thiolates were efficiently converted into the corresponding sulfenates by smooth oxidation with trans-(+/-)-2-tert-butyl-3-phenyloxaziridine at room temperature (five examples). Subsequent electrophilic quench with benzyl bromide led to sulfoxides (S-alkylation) in good to moderate yields. Application of the protocol to an aromatic substrate was also successful. This work represents the first valuable example of the use of this poorly active oxidizing agent in synthetic organic chemistry without the need for activating conditions.