Stereoselective allyl transfer to chiral alpha-methoxycarbaldehydes: a model study related to the C-9/C-15 fragment of geldanamycin.

The enantiomerically pure alpha-methoxycarbaldehyde 3 was prepared from l-leucine in five steps and 31% overall yield. The aldehyde was subjected to a diastereoselective BF3-mediated crotylation with silane 4 and to various reagent-controlled addition reactions. The configuration of aldol addition products 19 and 20 was proven by single crystal X-ray crystallography. Based on these data spectral comparison allowed an unambiguous assignment of the desired anti,syn-crotylation product 2b and of the syn,syn-crotylation product 2a. Unexpectedly, product 2a of the BF3-mediated crotylation is formally the product of chelation-control. The anti,syn-crotylation product 2b, which is a model for the C-9/C-15 fragment of geldanamycin, was obtained by a reagent-controlled crotylation with the chiral (Z)-crotylborane 23.