Synthesis of homochiral amino alcohols, aziridines and diamines via homochiral cyclic sulphites

Abstract

Vicinal diols react with thionyl chloride to give 1,2-cyclic sulphites in quantitative yield, which undergo facile ring opening by lithium azide in dimethylformamide to yield azido alcohols and the latter in turn have been stereoselectively transformed into amino alcohols, aziridines and diamines.