Attempted enantiotopic group selective cyanohydrin formation from α-alkoxy aldehydes by double stereodifferentiation

Enantiotopic group selectivity can result from the competition between substrate and reagent double stereodifferentiation. We have examined this approach for enantioselective hydrocyanation of racemic α-alkoxy aldehydes (e.g., 2-(phenylmethoxy)heptanal (1)). Reaction of 1 with TMSCN mediated by chiral nonracemic alkoxy Ti(IV) reagents under conditions known to be reasonably enantioface selective in reactions with achiral aldehydes, proceeded with very low enantiotopic group selectivity (<2:1). It was established that TMSCN can react with Ti(IV) reagents to produce "TiCN" adducts that are capable of hydrocyanation but with low substrate-controlled diastereoselectivity in reactions with 1. The poor enantiotopic group selectivity observed can be rationalized to result from this low diastereoselectivity despite the respectable levels of enantioface selectivity associated with these reagents in hydrocyanation of achiral aldehydes. Highly diastereoselective hydrocyanation of α-alkoxy aldehydes can be achieved with TMSCN in the presence of excess MgBr2·OEt2. High diastereoselectivity was also observed using achiral and chiral TiCN adducts in place of TMSCN. Although the putative TiCN adducts obtained from nonracemic alkoxy Ti(IV) reagents are implicated in enantioface selective hydrocyanation, these reagents were not enantiotopic group selective under these conditions and showed no evidence of double stereodifferentiation. The use of nonracemic bisoxazoline ligands for Mg(II) was also ineffective.Key words: cyanohydrin, 2-alkoxyalkanal, double stereodifferentiation, enantiotopic group selective reaction, kinetic resolution.