Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-chemistry-course-of-the-year-3-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2022/paper-4/56/a/solution
Past exam of the chemistry course of the year 3 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2022 Paper 4 56 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-20
Osmium tetroxide adds to the alkene through a concerted cyclic addition, giving a five-membered osmate ester with both C-O bonds on the same face. Hydrolysis releases the vicinal diol; NMO reoxidizes reduced osmium so that OsO can be catalytic.
The two new hydroxyl groups are therefore syn. For the drawn substrate, approach opposite the two existing solid-wedge substituents is less crowded: draw both new C-OH bonds dashed, while retaining the solid-wedge COBn and NHBoc bonds. The major diol is cis at its two new centres and anti to the pre-existing substituted face.
Syn delivery is the stereospecificity of cyclic osmylation; preference for one of the two diastereotopic alkene faces is substrate-controlled diastereoselectivity. Attack from the other face would still be syn but would give the minor diastereomer.
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