Axially chiral N-(o-aryl)-4-hydroxy-2-oxazolidinone derivatives from diastereoselective reduction of N-(o-aryl)-2,4-oxazolidinediones: thermally interconvertible atropisomers via ring-chain-ring tautomerization.

The reduction of the axially chiral N-(o-aryl)-5,5-dimethyl-2,4-oxazolidinediones by NaBH(4) yielded axially chiral N-(o-aryl)-4-hydroxy-5,5-dimethyl-2-oxazolidinone enantiomers having a chiral center at C-4, with 100% diastereoselectivity as has been shown by their (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra and by enantioselective HPLC analysis. The resolved enantiomeric isomers were found to interconvert thermally through an aldehyde intermediate formed upon ring cleavage via a latent ring-chain-ring tautomerization. It was found that the rate of enantiomerization depended on the size and the electronic effect of the ortho substituent present on the aryl ring bonded to the nitrogen of the heterocycle.