Polyoxygenated ketopinic-acid-derived γ-amino alcohols in the enantioselective diethylzinc addition to benzaldehyde

Three N,N-dialkylated γ-amino alcohols, specifically 10-(dialkylamino)isoborneols, with different grades of oxygenation in the nitrogen’s alkyl groups (alkoxyalkyl groups), have been obtained from commercial (+)-ketopinic acid and tested as chiral ligands for the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde, in order to evaluate the effect of polyoxygenation on the ligand’s catalytic activity. An interesting effect of the oxygen atoms on the ligand activity is observed. The observation is in agreement with two unique previous results on amino-acid-derived polyoxygenated β-amino alcohols. A noticeable dependence of the observed effect with the conformational flexibility of the polyoxygenated chains is also demonstrated. The effect is explained by a pincer role of the polyoxygenated dialkylamino moiety, activating and directing a diethylzinc molecule.