N-Sulfinyl imine

N-Sulfinyl imines (N-sulfinylimines, sulfinimines, N-Sulfonyl imines,thiooxime S-oxides) are a class of imines bearing a sulfinyl group attached to nitrogen. These imines display usefully stereoselectivity reactivity and due to the presence of the chiral electron withdrawing N-sulfinyl group. They allow 1,2-addition of organometallic reagents to imines. The N-sulfinyl group exerts powerful and predictable stereodirecting effects resulting in high levels of asymmetric induction. Racemization of the newly created carbon-nitrogen stereo center is prevented because anions are stabilized at nitrogen (i.e., the sulfinyl group is a versatile amine protection group). The sulfinyl chiral auxiliary is readily removed by simple acid hydrolysis. The addition of organometallic reagents to N-sulfinyl imines is the most reliable and versatile method for the asymmetric synthesis of amine derivatives. These building blocks have been employed in the asymmetric synthesis of numerous biologically active compounds.