Enantioselective nucleophilic addition to N-(2-pyridylsulfonyl)imines by use of dynamically induced chirality

Enantioselective nucleophilic addition of Grignard reagents to N-(2-pyridylsulfonyl)imines in the presence of bis(oxazoline) afforded products with good enantioselectivity. Dynamically induced chirality on the sulfur by coordination of a chiral Lewis acid to a pyridyl nitrogen and one of the sulfonyl oxygens fixes the conformation of the complex and induces enantioselectivity. Since the 2-pyridylsulfonyl group can be easily removed after the addition reaction, it acts not only as a protecting group but also as an efficient stereocontroller.