Chiral synthesis of cyclopropanes. Stereoselective [2+1] cycloaddition reactions of 1-seleno-2-silylethenes with di-(-)-menthyl ethene-1,1-dicarboxylates

Reaction of 1-seleno-2-silylethenes 1 with the chiral electrophiles 2, 3, and 4 derived from (-)menthol, in the presence of zinc halides gave the cyclopropane products 5, 6, and 7, respectively, with high diastereoselectivity. The absolute configuration of 5a, prepared by the reaction of 1-(phenylseleno)-2-(trimethylsilyl)ethene (la) and di-(-)-menthyl methylenemalonate (2), was determined to be 2S by conversion to the known chiral compound 11. The proposed mechanism, involving fixation of the (-)-menthyl group to the C=C plane by the Lewis acid in the addition step, is consistent with the experimental observations. A selenium-participating secondary orbital interaction in the synclinal addition path was elucidated by ab initio calculations and explained the observed diasteroselectivity.