Enantiopure acyclic (E)‐ and (Z)‐configured allylic sulfoximines have been synthesized from N,S‐dimethyl‐S‐phenylsulfoximine and aldehydes by the addition− elimination−isomerization route through the intermediate generation of the corresponding (E)‐configured vinylic sulfoximines. Isomerization of the vinylic sulfoximines with DBU preferentially afforded the corresponding (Z)‐configured allylic sulfoximines, which were subsequently isomerized by DBU to preferentially yield the (E)‐isomers. Titanation of lithiated (E)‐configured allylic sulfoximines with ClTi(OiPr)3 furnished the corresponding bis(2‐alkenyl)diisopropyloxytitanium(IV) complexes, which reacted with aldehydes in the presence of ClTi(OiPr)3 with high regio‐ and diastereoselectivities at the γ‐position to give the corresponding (Z)‐anti‐configured δ‐N‐methylsulfonimidoyl‐substituted homoallylic alcohols in good yields. In the absence of ClTi(OiPr)3 at low temperatures, only one allylic moiety of the bis(alkenyl)diisopropyloxytitanium complex is transferred to the aldehyde. In this way, a cyclic lithiated allylic sulfoximine has been converted with high regio‐ and diastereoselectivity to the corresponding homoallylic alcohols bearing a vinylic sulfonimidoyl group. Titanation of lithiated (E)‐ and (Z)‐configured allylic sulfoximines with ClTi(NEt2)3 afforded the corresponding mono(2‐alkenyl)tris(diethylamino)titanium(IV) complexes, which reacted with aldehydes with moderate to high regioselectivities and high diastereoselectivities preferentially at the α‐position to give the corresponding syn‐configured β‐N‐methylsulfonimidoyl‐substituted homoallylic alcohols along with the (Z)‐anti‐configured δ‐N‐methylsulfonimidoyl‐substituted homoallylic alcohols in good yields. In this way, the cyclic lithiated allylic sulfoximine was converted with high regio‐ and diastereoselectivity to the corresponding isomeric homoallylic alcohols bearing an allylic sulfonimidoyl group. In the case of mono(alkenyl)tris(diethylamino)titanium(IV) complexes, the regioselectivity of their reactions with aldehydes has been found to depend on the size of the substituent at the CC double bond and the aldehyde, as well as on the configuration of the double bond. Reaction of racemic lithiated N‐methyl‐S‐(3,3‐diphenyl‐2‐propenyl)‐S‐phenylsulfoximine with ClTi(OiPr)3 afforded the corresponding bis(alkenyl)diisopropyloxytitanium(IV) complex. X‐ray structure analysis revealed a distorted octahedral cis,cis,cis‐configured bis(2‐alkenyl)diisopropyloxytitanium(IV) complex, in which the allylic moieties are coordinated in a bidentate fashion through C‐α and the N atom to the Ti atom, both having the relative configuration RSSC. In solution, the titanium complex shows fluxional behavior, which is characterized by topomerization of the isopropyloxy groups and allylic moieties. The exchange of the latter occurs with retention of the configuration at C‐α.

Selective addition of the chiral, sulfonimidoyl substituted bis(allyl)titanium complexes 5a-d, which are configurationally labile in regard to the Calpha-atoms, to N-toluenesulfonyl (Ts)-, N-2-trimethylsilylethanesulfonyl (SES)-, and N-tert-butylsulfonyl (Bus) alpha-imino ester (9a-c) in the presence of Ti(OiPr)(4) and ClTi(OiPr)(3) afforded with high regio- and diastereoselectivities in good yields the (syn, E)-configured beta-alkyl-gamma,delta-unsaturated alpha-amino acid derivatives 2a-g, which carry a chiral, electron-withdrawing nucleofuge at the delta-position and a cyclohexyl, an isopropyl, a phenyl, and a methyl group at the beta-position. Addition of the cyclic bis(allyl)titanium complex 14 to N-Bus alpha-imino ester 9c afforded with similar high regio- and diastereoselectivities the (E)- and (Z)-configured amino acid derivatives (E)-8 and (Z)-8. Reaction of complexes 5a-d with alpha-imino esters 9a-c in the presence of Ti(OiPr)(4) occurs stepwise to give first the mono(allyl)titanium complexes containing 2a-g as ligands, which react in the presence of ClTi(OiPr)(3) with a second molecule of 9a-c with formation of two molecules of 2a-g. Formation of (S,R,E)-configured homoallylic amines 2a-g entails Si,Re,E processes of alpha-imino esters 9a-c with the (R,R)-configured bis(allyl)titanium complexes (R,R)-5a-d and (R)-configured mono(allyl)titanium complexes (R)-17a-d, both of which are most likely in rapid equilibrium with their (S,S)-diastereomers and (S)-diastereomers, respectively. Interestingly, in the reaction of 5a-d with aldehydes, the (S,S)-configured complexes (S,S)-5a-d are the ones which react faster. Reaction of the N-titanated amino acid derivatives Ti-2a and Ti-2b with N-Ts alpha-imino ester 9a led to the highly diastereoselective formation of imidazolidinones 15a and 15b, respectively. Cleavage of the sulfonamide group of the N-Bus amino acid derivative 2d with CF(3)SO(3)H gave quantitatively the sulfonimidoyl functionalized amino acid H-2d. A Ni-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of the amino acid derivative 2e with ZnPh(2) led to a substitution of the sulfonimidoyl group by a phenyl group and furnished the enantiomerically pure protected alpha-amino acid Bus-1. Two new N-sulfonyl alpha-imino esters, the SES and the Bus alpha-imino esters 9b and 9c, respectively, have been synthesized from the corresponding sulfonamides by the Kresze method in medium to good yields. The N-SES alpha-imino ester 9b and the N-Bus alpha-imino ester 9c should find many synthetic applications, in particular, in cases where the N-Ts alpha-imino ester 9a had been used before.

The structures of the lithium salts of the chiral bicyclic allylic α-sulfonyl carbanions 3−5, each possessing a norbornane skeleton and a tert-butyl group at the S atom, have been studied by 1 H, 13 C, 6 Li, and 6 Li, 1 H HOESY NMR spectroscopy, cryoscopy, and X-ray crystal structure analysis. Because of their relatively high endo-exo isomerization barriers, the Cα−S endo and exo diastereomers of 3−5 could be observed by NMR spectroscopy at −30°C to −50°C in [D 8 ]THF. The endo diastereomer is the preferred equilibrium species under these conditions, as shown by 1 H, 1 H HOESY experiments. Carbanion salt 3 has endo-exo isomerization barriers of ∆G # 270 = 13.1±0.1 kcal/mol and 12.6±0.1 kcal/mol, while the 7-benzhydrylidene-substituted carbanion salt 5 has barriers of ∆G # 288 = 13.5±0.1 kcal/mol and 13.3±0.1 kcal/mol. Cryoscopy and 6 Li NMR spectroscopy of 5 in THF at −100°C to −108°C revealed the formation of dimers and monomers in a ratio of approximately 2:1. NMR spectroscopy of 3−5 at −90°C to −105°C allowed observation of the dimers and monomers of which the anions have endo conformations and also of which the anions adopt exo conformations. The NMR spectroscopic results for 3−5 are compatible with monomeric and dimeric CIPs, featuring planar allylic moieties and allylic stabilization by delocalization of the negative charge. 6 Li, 1 H-HOESY examination of the mixture of the monomers and dimers of endo-5 and exo-5 in [D 8 ]THF at room temperature gave only evidence for coordination of the Li atom to the O atom(s) in the CIPs. The NMR spectroscopic results for 3 were corroborated by X-ray crystal structure analysis of the

Variable-temperature (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy of the sulfonimidoyl-substituted allyltitanium(IV) complexes E-1a-c and Z-1a-c, which carry diethylamino groups at the Ti atom, revealed a fast 1,3-C,N-shift of the Ti atom, leading to an equilibrium between the epimeric Calpha-titanium allyl complexes A and C and the N-titanium allyl aminosulfoxonium ylide B. Based on these findings a model for the reactions of E-1a-c and Z-1a-c with aldehydes is proposed, which features regio- and diastereoselective reactions of the N-titanium ylide B at the alpha-position and the Calpha-titanium complex A at the gamma-position. Model ab initio calculations of the methylene and allyl (dimethylamino)sulfoxonium ylides 10 and 14, respectively, revealed short Calpha-S bonds, a stabilization by both electrostatic interaction and negative hyperconjugation, and a low Calpha-S rotational barrier. The ylides preferentially adopt Calpha-S and Calpha-N conformations in which the lone pair orbital at the Calpha atom is periplanar to the S=O bond and that at the N atom periplanar to the Calpha-Ph bond. Variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy of the sulfonimidoyl-substituted alkyltitanium(IV) complex 16, which carries diethylamino groups at the Ti atom, revealed a dynamic behavior leading to a complete topomerization of all four methylene hydrogens of the Calpha-ethyl groups. Two fast processes are held responsible for the topomerization of the hydrogens of 16. The first one is a reversible intramolecular beta-hydride elimination/alkene-Ti-H insertion with the intermediate formation of a complex between (Et(2)N)TiH and a 1-alkenyl sulfoximine, and the second one consists of a reversible 1,3-C,N-shift of the Ti atom in combination with a Calpha-S bond rotation. Interestingly, the room-temperature NMR spectra of the corresponding sulfonimidoyl-substituted alkyltitanium(IV) complex 17, which carries isopropoxy groups at the Ti atom, give no indication of a similar dynamic behavior of this complex.