Ring-opening and -expansion of 2,2′-biaziridine: access to diverse enantiopure linear and bicyclic vicinal diamines

The chiral pool-derived 1,1′-ditosyl-2,2′-biaziridine has been established as a valuable building block for the divergent synthesis of enantiopure vicinal diamines. Efficient procedures for the regioselective ring opening of the biaziridine with oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon nucleophiles are described. The strategic use of nucleophiles bearing pendant functionality allows further elaboration of the acyclic products to a variety of 2,2′-bicyclic-embedded diamines. Desymmetrization of the biaziridine has also been accomplished via the selective monoaddition of organocuprates.