Catalytic,Enantioselective Ring Opening of Aziridines

Cooperative metal centers in a bimetallic catalyst facilitate the highly enantioselective ring opening of meso aziridines 1 with silyl nucleophiles (see scheme; TMS=trimethylsilyl). The 1,2‐azidoamides 2 and 1,2‐amidonitriles 3 obtained in this way in high yields and with up to 99 % ee are valuable precursors to enantiomerically pure 1,2‐diamines and β‐amino acids.