Stereoselective synthesis of cyclopropanes based on a 1,2-chirality transfer

A stereoselective route to enantiomerically enriched bicyclic cyclopropane derivatives 13 is described which is based on a conceptually novel 1,2-chirality transfer approach. The hyperconjugative interaction of an electronically excited carbonyl group with the sigma* orbital of an adjacent C--X bond in the transition state of a hydrogen abstraction causes the preference of a certain conformation and consequently the differentiation between two diastereotopic methylene groups. The 1,2-chirality transfer is completed by a subsequent HX elimination which destroys the only stereogenic center in the reactants 12. Furthermore, it was found that contrary enthalpic and entropic influences result in the existence of an inversion temperature T 0. Upon crossing T 0 the stereoselectivity is reversed. Considering this temperature dependency, chirality transfer efficiencies of up to 83 % could be achieved. The absolute configuration of most products could be unambiguously determined by VCD spectroscopy combined with DFT calculations.