Electronic effects on the regio- and enantioselectivity of the asymmetric aminohydroxylation of O-substituted 4-hydroxy-2-butenoates

Regio- and enantioselectivity in the asymmetric aminohydroxylation (AA) reaction of O-substituted 4-hydroxy-2-butenoates as well as the mechanism of the reaction were studied. When the electronic properties of the phenyl group in a substrate were altered by using different substituents, two conflicting trends were observed: The O-benzoyl substrates showed greater regio- and enantioselectivity when an electron-donating substituent was attached at the C-4 position of the phenyl group, while the O-benzyl substrates exhibited better regio- and enantioselectivity with an electron-withdrawing substituent at the C-4 position of the phenyl moiety. Thus, these results have disclosed hitherto unknown remarkable electronic effects in the AA reaction. Detailed analysis of possible electronic interactions in the chiral catalyst-substrate complex has revealed the importance of dipolar aromatic-aromatic interactions between the aromatic substituent of the substrate and the nitrogen heteroaromatic moiety of the chiral ligand for effective regiocontrol as well as enantioface selection in the AA reaction. A plausible model of the key intermediate in the AA reaction of O-substituted 4-hydroxy-2-butenoates is proposed.