AM1 Transition State Modeling for the Enantioselectivities in the Chiral Oxazaborolidine‐Catalyzed Reductions of α‐ and β‐Aminoketones

AM1 transition state (TS) models were developed for the enantioselectivities in the reductions of α- and β-aminoketones catalyzed by (S)-4-benzyl-5,5-diphenyl-1,3,2-oxazaborolidine. The result showed that β-aminoketone gave better enantioselectivity than its α-analog. Different chiralities of the final products were obtained, R for the former and S for the latter. These semiempirical TS models are consistent with the experimental data.