Examining the origin of selectivity in the reaction of racemic alcohols with chiral N -phosphoryl oxazolidinones

A range of known and novel N-phosphoryl oxazolidinones and imidazolidinones were prepared and screened in the kinetic resolution of a range of racemic magnesium chloroalkoxides. Models are proposed to account for the enantioselectivity achieved based on a combination of chiral relay effects, generation of transient stereochemistry and the structure of the intermediate magnesium alkoxide.