trans-3,4-Disubstituted pyrrolidines by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition: enantioselective approaches and their limitations

In the presence of a chiral Lewis acid as co-catalyst, the acid-catalysed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction yielding trans-3,4-disubstituted pyrrolidines from an azomethine ylide and achiral α,β-unsaturated dipolarophiles proceeded with low enantioselectivity. Therefore a number of α,β-unsaturated dipolarophiles linked to chiral auxiliaries were examined as substrates. Camphorsultam was the best auxiliary and gave good diastereoselectivity (dr=74:26). When combining chiral Lewis acids with a dipolarophile linked to a chiral auxiliary, the enantioselectivity could be slightly increased. As judged by ¹³C NMR, the small effect of the chiral Lewis acids on selectivity was probably due to breakdown of the initially formed complex with the dipolarophile caused by the dipole precursor.