An Easily Accessed Molybdenum Lewis Acid as a Catalyst for Imine Aziridination

The complex [MoCl(η 3 -C 3 H 5 )(CO) 2 (phen)] was prepared in a one-pot manner from Mo(CO) 6, allyl chloride, and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen). This complex reacted with AgOTf to afford [Mo(OTf)(η 3 -C 3 H 5 )(CO) 2 (phen)] ( 1 ). The reaction of 1 with NaBAr‘ 4 (Ar‘ = 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl) in CH 2 Cl 2 yielded a solution that catalyzed (1% load of the catalyst) the reaction of ethyl diazoacetate with N -benzylideneaniline to give a mixture of cis -(carboxyethyl)-1,3-diphenylaziridine and two enamines. Replacement of phen by chiral ligands based on trans -1,2-diaminocyclohexane failed to induce asymmetry on the obtained aziridine.