Yttrium-Catalyzed Desymmetrization of Aziridines

Significance

Asymmetric ring opening of meso-epoxides and aziridines is a valuable reaction for obtaining highly functionalized chiral building blocks. Since the early work of Nugent (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1992, 114, 2768), Jacobsen and co-workers (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1995, 117, 5897) and Shibasaki and co-workers (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1997, 119, 4783), numerous reports have been published on this desymmetrization. How­ever, highly enantioselective ring opening of aziridines remains challenging. The authors report a protocol utilizing a dimeric yttrium catalyst affording enantioinduction surpassing that of previous reports.