Stereo- and Site-Selectivity in the Reaction of Chiral Episelenonium Ion with Carbon Nucleophile

Abstract

There are two important aspects in the reaction of chiral episelenonium ion (episelenonium ion bearing chiral carbon in the three-membered ring) with carbon nucleophile; namely, (1) whether the chiral carbon racemizes during the reaction or not, and (2) the carbon nucleophile attacks the carbon atom (carbophilic attack) or selenium atom (selenophilic attack) in the three-membered ring. When carbon nucleophile such as alkenyl silyl ethers, trimethylsilyl cyanide, and allyltrimethyl-silane are employed, steric protection of the selenium atom by the attachment of tri-tert-butylphenyl (TTBP) group to the selenium atom is inevitable to avoid both of the racemization of the chiral carbon atom and selenophilic attack of the carbon nucleophile. When aromatic compounds are employed as carbon nucleophile, on the other hand, selenophilic attack is rarely observed irrespective of the nature of the aryl group on the selenium atom and introduction of electron withdrawing group into the aryl group on the selenium atom is effective to retard the racemization of the chiral carbon atom.