Retention stereochemistry in ligand coupling reaction of optically active (1R)-phenylethyl 2-quinolyl (R)- and (S)-sulfoxide with methylmagnesium bromide

Abstract

Reactions of (+)-(1R)-phenylethyl 2-quinolyl (R)- sulfoxide 7a and (−)-(1R)-phenylethyl 2-quinolyl (S)- sulfoxide 7b with methylmagnesium bromide were examined. The reaction gave (R)-2-(1-phenylethyl)quinoline 9 as a ligand-coupling product, and a mixture of methyl(1R)-phenylethyl(R)-and (S)-sulfoxide 11a and 11b as ligand exchange products. The other (S) stereoisomer at the 1-phenylethyl carbon center was not detected in the reaction products. That is, both the ligand coupling and ligand exchange reactions proceeded with retention of configuration at the asymmetric carbon center.