Unraveling the Synthetic Utility of the Regio- and Stereoselective Lithiation of Aziridines

The chemistry and synthetic utility of lithiated aziridines are discussed. Lithiated aziridines can be easily generated and captured by electrophiles, leading to more highly functionalized derivatives. Nitrogen dynamics and complexation phenomena play crucial roles in determining the regiochemistry of the lithiation process of aziridines and the stereochemistry of the reactions of the resulting lithiated species with electrophiles. Bench experiments combined with spectroscopic investigations and density-functional theory calculations are particularly useful in elucidating the chemistry of aziridines in their carbanionic form and in unraveling new aspects of the chemistry of aziridines.