Pure Appl. Chem., 2004, Vol. 76, No. 3, pp. 557-564
doi:10.1351/pac200476030557
Stereochemistry of epoxide carbonylation using bimetallic Lewis acid/metal carbonyl complexes*
Y. D. Y. L. Getzler, V. Mahadevan, E. B. Lobkovsky, and G. W. Coates
Baker Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-1301, USA
Abstract:
The stereochemistry of epoxide carbonylation using bimetallic [Lewis acid]+[Co(CO)4]- complexes is reported. The achiral complex [(salph)Al(THF)2][Co(CO)4] stereospecifically carbonylates cis- and trans-2-butene oxide to the trans- and cis-β-lactones, respectively. Preliminary experiments regarding the carbonylative kinetic resolution of racemic trans-2-butene oxide using the enantiomerically pure complex [(R,R-salcy)Al(THF)2][Co(CO)4] are also reported.