Direct Lewis Acid Catalyzed Conversion of Enantioenriched N-Acyloxazolidinones to Chiral Esters, Amides, and Acids

The identification of Yb(OTf)3 through a multivariable high-throughput experimentation strategy has enabled a unified protocol for the direct conversion of enantioenriched N-acyloxazolidinones to the corresponding chiral esters, amides, and carboxylic acids. This straightforward and catalytic method has shown remarkable chemoselectivity for substitution at the acyclic N-acyl carbonyl for a diverse array of N-acyloxazolidinone substrates. The ionic radius of the Lewis acid catalyst was demonstrated as a key driver of catalyst performance that led to the identification of a robust and scalable esterification of a pharmaceutical intermediate using catalytic Y(OTf)3.