A simple chiral derivatisation protocol for 1H NMR spectroscopic analysis of the enantiopurity of O-silyl-1,2-amino alcohols

A simple chiral derivatisation protocol for determining the enantiopurity of O-silyl-protected-1,2-amino alcohols by 1H NMR spectroscopic analysis is described, which involves their treatment with 2-formylphenylboronic acid and enantiopure (syn)-methyl-2,3-dihydroxy-3-phenylpropionate to afford mixtures of imino-boronate esters whose diastereoisomeric ratio is an accurate reflection of the enantiopurity of the parent amino alcohol.