Enecarbamates as selective substrates in oxidations:: Chiral-auxiliary-controlled mode selectivity and diastereoselectivity in the [2+2] cycloaddition and ene reaction of singlet oxygen and in the epoxidation by DMD and mCPBA

The stereochemical course of the oxidation of chiral oxazolidinone-substituted enecarbamates has been studied for singlet oxygen (O-1(2)), dimethyldioxirane (DMD), and m-chloroperbenzoic acid (mCPBA) by examining of the special structural and stereoelectronic features of the enecarbamates. Valuable mechanistic insight into these selective oxidations is gained. Whereas the R-1 substituent on the chiral auxiliary is responsible for the steric shielding of the double bond and determines the sense of the T-facial diastereoselectivity, structural characteristic such as the Z/E configuration and the nature of the R-2 group on the double bond are responsible for the extent of the diastereoselectivity. Stereoelectronic steering by the vinylic nitrogen functionality controls the mode selectivity (ene reaction vs [2+2] cycloaddition) in the case of O-1(2).