Cob(I)alamin as Catalyst. 8th Communication. Cob(I)alamin and Heptamethyl Cob(I)yrinate During the Reduction of α,β-Unsaturated Carbonyl Derivatives

Hydrogen bonds as presented in Figure 2 cannot account for the enantioselective attack of cob(I)alamin ( 4 ( I )) or heptamethyl cob(I)yrinate ( 5 ( I )) on one of the two enantiotopic faces of the substrates. The attack of the strongly nucleophilic 3d orbital is preferentially directed to the re-side of the starting materials with (Z)-configuration and leads, after the highly stereoselective reductive cleavage of the Co, C bond, to saturated products with (S)-configuration in varying enantiomeric excesses (see Schemes 1, 3 and Table 1).