The N-sulfinyl group exerts powerful and predictable stereodirecting effects resulting in high levels of asymmetric induction.
The addition of organometallic reagents to N-sulfinyl imines is the most reliable and versatile method for the asymmetric synthesis of amine derivatives.
[13] More practical is the one-pot procedure from the Andersen reagent making a variety of p-toluene-sulfinyl imines available from both aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes.
[14] A widely used method for the asymmetric synthesis of N-sulfinyl imines is the condensation of enantiopure primary sulfinamides with aldehyde or ketones.
[8] Mild acid treatment readily removes the N-sulfinyl group in the sulfinamide products affording the free amine derivatives.