Phenylselenenylmenthane derivatives and their enantiomeric discrimination by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy in the presence of a chiral dirhodium complex

The phenylselenenylmenthane and ‐menthene derivatives 1–4 were studied in terms of ¹H and ¹³C signal assignments, conformational analysis and also complexation shifts (Δδ) and dispersion effects (Δν) observed when non‐racemic (ca 2 : 1) mixtures of the chiral selenides were exposed to an equimolar amount of the chiral dirhodium complex Rh^*. The complexation site is the selenium atom exclusively. Whereas Δδ values are moderate or small, dispersed signals (split into two owing to the existence of diastereomeric adducts) can be observed, many of which are large enough for a facile determination of enantiomeric ratios of the selenides irregardless of the conformational behaviour of the selenides and the adduct composition. Thus, the ‘dirhodium method’ is simple and reliable for chiral recognition in the class of organoselenium compounds which is gaining increasing importance in developing new techniques of asymmetric synthesis. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.