Copper-Catalyzed Ring-Opening Reactions of Alkyl Aziridines with B2pin2: Experimental and Computational Studies

Reactions of Benzylboronate Nucleophiles

This short review summarizes our laboratory's development of benzylboronic esters as nucleophiles. Activation of the benzylboronic ester is achieved by irreversible coordination of an alkyllithium Lewis base to form a nucleophilic benzylboronate. This boronate was found to react with aldehydes, imines, ketones and alkyl bromides. A copper catalyst was employed in reactions of the boronate with epoxides and aziridines.

Copper Catalyzed Regioselective and Stereospecific Aziridine Opening with Pyridyl Grignard Nucleophiles

Copper catalyzed regioselective and stereospecific coupling between aziridines and in situ generated pyridine Grignard reagents is reported. This method provides β-pyridylethylamines with diverse structures and functionalities from aziridines and iodopyridines. β-Pyridylethylamines are potential scaffolds for the synthesis of biologically active compounds often found in pharmaceuticals. The synthesis of challenging chiral dihydroazaindoles was also achieved through mild one-pot reaction conditions via aziridine opening followed by nucleophilic cyclization.