Abstract:
A convenient multi-week experiment that results in the formation of two new stereocenters starting from enantiopure norephedrine as the chiral auxiliary. This experiment uses a variety of purification techniques, including distillation, recrystallization, and column chromatography and is a useful extension of classroom topics. Students can be introduced to transition state modeling, COSY spectroscopy, Hammond postulate, and asymmetric induction.
