The cycloaddition of aziridines with isothiocyanates, isoselenocyanates and carbon disulfide has been described using pyrrolidine as catalyst on water at moderate temperature. This protocol features the use of commercial amine as catalyst and water as solvent affording a potential route for the construction of five membered heterocycles in high yields.
An Al(salen)Cl efficiently catalyzed the enantiospecific (3+2) cycloaddition of unactivated chiral aziridines with isothiocyanates to furnish functionalized iminothiazolidines at room temperature with 94–99% ee. The use of an aluminum Lewisacid as the catalyst, high enantiomeric purities, mildreaction conditions, broad substrate scope, and the high atom economy are the significant practical features