Front Cover: Highly Efficient and Stereoselective Mukaiyama Aldol Reaction with Chiral Aziridine‐2‐carboxaldehyde and Its Synthetic Applications (Asian J. Org. Chem. 1/2022)

Abstract

The straight forward and highly diastereoselective synthesis of β-(aziridin-2-yl)-β-hydroxy ketones was achieved by the Mukaiyama aldol reaction of optically pure 1-(α-methylbenzyl)-aziridine-2-carboxaldehyde and various enol-silanes in the presence of ZnCl2 via a chelation-controlled transition state (98:2 dr, and >82% yields). These β-(aziridin-2-yl)-β-hydroxy ketones were applied for the synthesis of various alkaloids including epiallo-isomuscarine, epi-enigmol, and epi-galantinic acid. More information can be found in the Full Paper by Nikhil Srivastava and Hyun-Joon Ha.