Stereocontrolled synthesis of 1,2- and 1,3-diamine building blocks from aziridine aldehyde dimers.

Vicinal aziridine-containing diamines have been obtained with high syn-stereoselectivity from readily available aziridine aldehyde dimers in the Petasis borono-Mannich reaction. Subsequent solvent- and/or nucleophile-dependent ring-opening of the aziridine ring yields functionalized 1,2- and 1,3-diamines with high regioselectivity. The ring opening is also influenced by the substitution at the C3 position of the aziridine. A mechanistic rationale for the highly syn-selective three-component reaction is proposed.