Chiral compounds

Abstract

Chiral Schiff bases, and transition metal complexes thereof, of formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3, which may be the same ordifferent, are hydrogen, alkyl, aralkyl, aryl, alkaryl, a substituent containing a hetero atom, or two of R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 together with the pyridine ring from fused system, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 which may be the same or different, are hydrogen, lower alkyl, or, where n is 1, may with the pyridine ring to which CR.sup.4 R.sup.5 is attached form a fused system, R.sup.6 is hydrogen, alkyl, aralkyl, aryl or alkaryl, n is 0, 1 or 2 and J and K, which may be the same or different, are groups of the formulae: ##STR2## in which C* is an asymmetric carbon atom, and R.sup.7 and R.sup.8, which may be the same or different, are alkyl, aralkyl, aryl or alkaryl, or ##STR3## in which at least the ring carbon atom to which the iminyl nitrogen atom is attached is asymmetric, at least one of the carbon atoms adjacent the said ring carbon atom bears a hydroxyl group, R.sup.9 and R.sup.14, which may be the same or different, are hydrogen or lower alkyl, R.sup.10 is hydrogen, or lower alkyl, or together with R.sup.15 forms a divalent hydrocarbyl group, R.sup.11 is hydrogen, a sugar residue, or --CH.sub.2 OR.sup.15 in which R.sup.15 is hydrogen, lower alkyl or together with R.sup.10 forms a divalent hydrocarbon group, R.sup.12 is hydrogen or --CH.sub.2 OR.sup.15 in which R.sup.15 is hydrogen, or a lower alkyl, R.sup.13 is hydrogen, OR.sup.1, or a sugar residue, provided that both R.sup.12 and R.sup.13 are not hydrogen, m is 0, 1 or 2, p is 0 or 1 provided that m plus p is 0, 1, 2 or 3. The transition metal is for example copper (II), chromium (II), manganese (II), iron (II), cobalt (II), nickel (II) or palladium (II). The aforesaid complexes may be used as catalysts in the cyclopropanation of olefins by diazoacetates to form insecticide or insecticide precursors.