Catalytic, enantioselective ring opening of aziridines.

Cooperative metal centers in a bimetallic catalyst facilitate the highly enantioselective ring opening of meso aziridines 1 with silyl nucleophiles (see scheme; TMS = trimethylsilyl). The 1,2-azidoamides 2 and 1,2-amidonitriles 3 obtained in this way in high yields and with up to 99% ee are valuable precursors to enantiomerically pure 1,2-diamines and beta-amino acids.