tert-Butanesulfinamide (also known as 2-methyl-2-propanesulfinamide or Ellman's sulfinamide) is an organosulfur compound and a member of the class of sulfinamides. Both enantiomeric forms are commercially available and are used in asymmetric synthesis as chiral auxiliaries, often as chiral ammonia equivalents for the synthesis of amines.[1][2][3]tert-Butanesulfinamide and the associated synthetic methodology was introduced in 1997 by Jonathan A. Ellman et al.[4]
Condensation with ketones and aldehydes yields the corresponding N-tert-butanesulfinyl aldimines and ketimines. These intermediates are more resistant to hydrolysis than other imines but more reactive towards nucleophiles. A nucleophile adds diastereoselectively over the imine group in an electrophilic addition with the tert-butanesulfinyl group acting as a chiral auxiliary. This tert-butanesulfinyl group is also a protecting group. On addition of hydrochloric acid the tert-butanesulfinyl group is removed, forming the chiral primary ammonium salt or amine (from aldehyde precursor) or the chiral secondary amine (ketone precursor).
^Liu, Guangcheng; Cogan, Derek A.; Ellman, Jonathan A. (1997). "Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of tert-Butanesulfinamide. Application to the Asymmetric Synthesis of Amines". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 119 (41): 9913. doi:10.1021/ja972012z.
^Davis, Franklin A.; Reddy, Rajarathnam E.; Szewczyk, Joanna M.; Reddy, G. Venkat; Portonovo, Padma S.; Zhang, Huiming; Fanelli, Dean; Zhou, Ping; et al. (1997). "Asymmetric Synthesis and Properties of Sulfinimines (ThiooximeS-Oxides)". The Journal of Organic Chemistry. 62 (8): 2555–2563. doi:10.1021/jo970077e. PMID11671597.