A l k y l a t i o n o f A s y m m e t r i c P h o s p h o n a m i d a t e sAbstract: The stereochemistry of the alkylation of phosphonamidates 1b is influenced mostly by the chirality of the asymmetric phosphorus atom and not by the chirality of the asymmetric carbon atom. In contrast, the stereochemistry of the alkylation of phosphonamidates 1c is influenced by a combination of the stereochemistry of the chiral phosphorus atom and the stereochemistry of the chiral carbon atom.In the preceding paper we discussed the influences of the chirality of a phosphorus atom contained in a 2-oxo-1,3,2-oxazaphosphorinane ring on the stereoselectivity of the alkylation of an adjacent methylene carbanion. 1 In continuation of our study into the factors that influence the stereochemistry of the alkylation of phosphorus stabilised carbanions, we turned our attention to those carbanions adjacent to both an asymmetric phosphorus atom and an asymmetric carbon atom. Scheme 1 Reagents and conditions: a) BuLi, THF, -78 °C; b) MeI, -78 °C; c) TMSCl, -78 °C, 1 h; d) LDA, toluene, -78 °C; e) MeI, -78 °C to r.t.The role of a β-substituent on α-alkylation of diphenylphosphine oxides has been investigated by Warren who showed that silylation proceeds stereoselectively, whereas methylation was not selective (Scheme 1, a). 2 Denmark 3 and we 1 have shown that an asymmetric phosphorus atom significantly controls the stereoselectivity of the alkylation at the adjacent carbanion (Scheme 1, b). Although the role of an adjacent asymmetric carbon atom and an adjacent asymmetric phosphorus atom on the alkylation of methylene carbanions has been independently studied, this is the first report of the combined influences of the two asymmetric centers.For our study, we chose compounds 1a, 1 1b 4 and 1c, 4 prepared as reported elsewhere (Figure 1). Compound 1a, alkylation of which has been reported in the preceding paper, contains only one asymmetric phosphorus atom. Compounds 1b and 1c are diastereomerically pure compounds containing two stereocenters, one at the phosphorus atom and another at the β-carbon atom. Alkylations were carried out under similar conditions in toluene, at -78 °C using LDA as base (Scheme 2). 5 The anion was reacted with four different electrophiles: methyl iodide, allyl bromide, benzyl bromide and chlorotrimethylsilane (TMSCl). The results are shown below ( Table 1). The diastereomeric ratios were determined by 31 P NMR on crude reaction products and are expressed as that of the higher chemical shift isomer to the lower chemical shift isomer. The relative configuration of the major diastereomers was determined by NOE between the α-proton and the ring CH 2 's.Scheme 2 Reagents and conditions: a) LDA (1.5 equiv), toluene, -78 °C, then E + .