The anions of the pentacarbonyl(chromium) trans-2,6-dimethylmorpholinyl(methyl)carbene and pentacarbonyl(chromium) trans-3,5-dimethylpiperidinyl(methyl)carbene complexes added to E-and Z-nitrostyrenes through a diastereoselective Michael-type reaction to give precursors of β-aryl-γ-butyric acid derivatives. The diastereoselectivity observed with the former carbene was dependent on the nature of the substituent present in the 4-position of nitrostyrenes and was higher when it was an electron-withdrawing group. The presence of 12-crown-4 ether in the reaction medium increased both reaction times and diastereoselectivity. Theoretical calculations were performed to rationalize the stereochemical outcomes of the reactions and to support the proposed transition state models.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.