?-Facial Selectivities in Hydride Reductions of Hindered Endocyclic Iminium Ions.

ABSTRACT: The origins of ?-facial selectivities in the borohydride reduction of endocyclic iminium ions have been elucidated by density functional theory calculations. In reductions of conjugated ("thermodynamic") iminium ions, the ?-facial preference of the hydride attack was found to be due to torsional steering. Attack at the favored ?-face leads to a lower-energy "half-chair"-like conformation of the tetrahydropyridine product, whereas attack at the other ?-face results in an unfavorable "twist-boat" conformation. In reductions of nonconjugated ("kinetic") iminium ions, torsional distinction is small between the top- and bottom-face attacks, and the ?-facial selectivity of the hydride approach is primarily due to steric hindrance.

SUBMITTER: Chen S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6467781 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature