Addition Reactions of Iodomethyllithium to Imines. A Direct and Efficient Synthesis of Aziridines and Enantiopure Amino Aziridines

An efficient and general synthesis of aziridines by the reaction of imines derived from p-toluenesulfonamides with in situ generated iodomethyllithium, with a simple and rapid experimental protocol, is reported for the first time. The reaction with the chiral aldimine derived from phenylalaninal allowed access to (2R,1'S)-2-(1'-aminoalkyl)aziridine with very high diastereoselectivity, in enantiopure form. A mechanism to explain this novel reaction is proposed.