First catalytic asymmetric hydrophosphonylation of cyclic imines: Highly efficient enantioselective approach to a 4-thiazolidinylphosphonate via chiral titanium and lanthanoid catalysts

The catalytic and enantioselective hydrophosphonylation of a cyclic imine, namely the 3-thiazoline 1, is described. We have discovered a highly efficient enantioselective de novo approach to the pharmaceutically interesting 4-thiazolidinylphosphonate 2 using either titanium or lanthanoid chiral catalysts, which gives excellent enantiomeric purities (up to 98 %ee) and high chemical yields. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd