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A variety of N-tert-butanesulfinyl imines were reduced with NaBH4 in THF containing 2% water to provide the corresponding secondary sulfinamides in high yield and diastereoselectivity. By using the same sulfinyl imine starting materials and changing the reductant to L-Selectride, the stereoselectivity could be efficiently reversed to afford the opposite product diastereomer in high yield and selectivity.

The resolution of a variety of (+/-)-P-stereogenic phosphines is achieved by exploiting the Staudinger reaction of a (+/-)-phosphine with enantiopure (1S,2R)-O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)isobornyl-10-sulfonyl azide. The resulting mixtures of diastereomeric phosphinimines are generally separable by fractional crystallization or flash chromatography. Subsequent acid-catalyzed hydrolysis provides the corresponding optically pure phosphine oxides in high yields.