A unique case of face diastereoselectivity in the Michael addition reactions between Ni(II)-complexes of glycine and chiral 3-(E-enoyl)-1,3-oxazolidin-2-ones

The origin of virtually complete face diastereoselectivity in the organic base-catalyzed, room temperature Michael addition reactions between Ni(II)-complexes of Schiff bases of glycine and chiral 3-(E-enoyl)-4-substituted-1,3-oxazolidin-2-ones was shown to stem from the unusual mode of steric interactions in determining the corresponding transition state.