LETTER 2191 Sulfur Ylide Mediated Three-Component Aziridination and Epoxidation Reactions Using Vinyl Sulfonium Salts Three-ComponentChristoforos Aziridination and Epoxidation Reactions G. Kokotos, Eoghan M. McGarrigle, Varinder K. Aggarwal* School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK Fax +44(117)9298611; E-mail:
[email protected] Received 18 July 2008 This paper is dedicated with deep respect to Prof. Sir Jack Baldwin on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Although vinyl sulfonium salts such as 2 have been em- Abstract: Coupling of diphenylvinyl sulfonium triflate with nu- cleophiles and either aldehydes or imines gives epoxides and aziri- ployed in two-component reactions (nucleophiles with dines, respectively, in a three-component reaction. cis-Aziridines tethered electrophiles) generating 5-, 6-, and 7-membered could be formed in good diastereomeric ratio, and the selectivity ring epoxides and aziridines and subsequently applied to was correlated to the reactivity of the imine. This represents the first the synthesis of mitomycins3 and balanol,2b,c their use in study of cis/trans selectivity in the reactions of imines with non- three-component coupling reactions has not been investi- stabilized sulfur ylides. gated.4 Key words: sulfur ylides, epoxidations, aziridinations, multicom- However, initial experiments with N-methyl tosylamide ponent reactions, vinyl sulfonium salts (1a), diphenylvinylsulfonium salt 2, and benzaldehyde in the presence of NaH were not promising – a large number of products were obtained, some of which were highly po- Three-component coupling reactions have not only been lar. We believed that the ylide intermediate 3 was prefer- employed to enhance efficiency in organic synthesis but entially reacting with the vinyl sulfonium salt instead of have also played a central role in diversity-oriented syn- 1 the aldehyde.