title: Remarkable effect of silyl groups on asymmetric induction in a conjugate addition reaction with O-methylnorephedrine-based N-silylamidocuprates.
abstract: Scalemic N-silylamidocuprates, prepared from O-methylnorephedrine in a two-flask procedure, are exceedingly reactive and give excellent enantiomeric excesses with chalcone, a classic substrate for studies of organocuprate conjugate addition. For example, the butyl N-diphenylmethylsilylamidocuprate (T = Bu) affords a 99.2% ee (99% yield) of (S)-3-butyl-1,3-diphenyl-1-propanone. The remarkably high yields with this and other silyl ligands are attributed to the extraordinary activating effect of a beta-silicon atom on organocuprate reactions. The high ee is a consequence of the larger size of the silyl ligands compared to that of the unsubstituted or methyl-substituted analogues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina-Charlotte, UNCC Station, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA. sbertz@complexitycenter.org
authors.forename: Steven H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Bertz
authors.forename: Craig A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ogle
authors.forename: Abhinav
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rastogi