Intramolecular chiral relay at stereogenic nitrogen. Synthesis and application of a new chiral auxiliary derived from (1R,2S)-norephedrine and acetone.

(1R,2S)-Norephedrine has been employed in the synthesis of a novel 3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2H-1,3,4-oxadiazin-2-one via reductive alkylation with acetone, N-nitrosation, reduction, and cyclization. The oxadiazinone was treated with either propionyl chloride or 3-thiophenylpropionyl chloride to afford the corresponding N(3)-acylated oxadiazinones 9a and 9b, respectively. X-ray crystallographic analysis of the N(3)-thiophenylpropionyl oxadiazinone 9b revealed that the C(2)-urethane carbonyl and the N(3)-carbonyl are arranged in an anti-periplanar conformation. The oxadiazinones were subsequently applied in the titanium-mediated asymmetric aldol addition reaction by treatment with titanium tetrachloride, triethylamine, and a variety of aldehydes at 0 degrees C. The aldol adducts 10a-i and 11a,b were found to have diastereoselectivities ranging from 8:1 to >99:1 favoring the formation of the non-Evans syn configuration. The absolute stereochemistry of the adduct 10a was determined by acid hydrolysis. This process afforded the N(4)-isopropyloxadiazinone 8 and (2S,3S)-3-hydroxy-2-methyl-3-phenylpropanoic acid 14 in >/=95% enantiomeric excess.