Highly stereoselective aziridine ring-opening with phenylselenide anion and selective intramolecular aldol closure for the enantiopure synthesis of γ-aminocyclopentene derivatives

A practical and enantiopure synthesis for the preparation of key intermediates of conformationally locked γ-amino acid and nucleoside analogues is described. First, a highly stereoselective aziridine ring-opening reaction with phenylselenide anion was employed for the stereoselective synthesis of the chiral aminoselenide (1S,2S,1′S)-8, which after N-benzylation was transformed into the corresponding allyl amine (1S,1′S)-7 by oxidation with H₂O₂. Then, dihydroxylation–dehomologation of (1S,1′S)-7 with (OsO₄/NMO, NaIO₄) selectively afforded the desired γ-aminocyclopentene aldehyde (S)-1 and its corresponding γ-amino acid (S)-2 via an intramolecular selective aldol-condensation catalyzed by an internal base.