Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun. 1996, 61, 1018-1026
https://doi.org/10.1135/cccc19961018

Sterically Crowded Heterocycles. VII. Reduction of Some (Z)-1,3-Diphenyl-3-(2-phenylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-3-yl)prop-2-en-1-ones as Their Axial Chirality Probe

Richard Kubík, Stanislav Böhm and Josef Kuthan

Department of Organic Chemistry, Prague Institute of Chemical Technology, 166 28 Prague 6, Czech Republic

Abstract

Borohydride reduction of titled ketones 1a-1g gave diastereoisomeric mixtures of (Z)-1,3-diphenyl-3-(2-phenylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-3-yl)prop-2-en-1-ols 2a-2g and 3a-3g in which the former ones prevailed. Only individual racemic products were obtained after borohydride reduction of (E)-1,3-diphenyl-3-(2-phenylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-3-yl)-prop-2-en-1-one 4 to corresponding 1-hydroxy derivative 5 and by conversion of (Z)-1-oxo derivative 1a to 1,3-diphenyl-3-(2-phenylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-3-yl)propan-1-one (6) with sodium hydrogenselenide. Diastereoselectivity of the borohydride reduction is discussed using the PM3 calculations of the molecules 1a, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, and 6.

Keywords: Axial chirality; Diastereoisomerism; Borohydride reduction; Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines.