Protolytic Opening of Two Diastereoisomeric Cyclopropanols

Cob(I) alamin ( 1(I) )-catalyzed reduction of the aldehyde 2 led to the two crystalline cyclopropanols 3 and 4 (see Scheme 2). The protolytic ring-opening starting from 3 produced the saturated aldehydes 6 and 7;8 was formed in traces only (see Scheme 3). The protolysis starting from 3 led, therefore, mainly to retention of configuration at the spiro C-atom ( 7 ); ring-opening with inversion was observed in traces only ( 8 ). Starting from 4 , the protolysis produced 9 and 7 ; the absence of 8 showed this protolysis to proceed 9 and 7 ; the absence of 8 showed this protolysis to proceed exclusively with inversion of configuration at the spiro center. Of the p-bromobenzoate 5 (cf. Scheme 2) the structure has been determined by X-ray analysis.