Reaction of 2-alkyl pyridine N-oxide derivatives with Mosher’s acyl chloride: first example of stereoselective Boekelheide rearrangement

Treatment of 2-alkyl pyridine N-oxides with acylating reagents represents an established procedure for the introduction of oxygen functionality into alkyl group at the ortho position of N heteroaromatic rings. We have reported the first example of asymmetric Boekelheide rearrangement applied to a set of 2-alkyl-pyridine N-oxide derivatives using (R) Mosher’s acyl chloride as activator of the rearrangement to give, after hydrolysis, enantiomerically enriched 1-(2-pyridinyl)alkyl alcohol. Diastereoselectivity of the process was studied at low temperatures in different solvents, and was supported by a preliminary in silico modeling.