Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of trisubstituted aziridines.

A method is described which provides for the direct asymmetric catalytic synthesis of trisubstituted aziridines from imines and diazo compounds. While unactivated imines were not reactive to α-diazo carbonyl compounds in which the diazo carbon was disubstituted, N-Boc imines react with both α-diazo esters and α-diazo-N-acyloxazolidinones to give trisubstituted aziridines with excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivities.