A new system for catalytic enantioselective reduction of achiral ketones to chiral alcohols. Synthesis of chiral α-hydroxy acids

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(00)94581-7

The reduction of a variety of achiral ketones with catecholborane as stoichiometric reductant and 0.1 equiv of oxazaborolidine 2 as catalyst in toluene at -78°C proceeds in > 95% yield and with enantioselectivities in the range 30:1 to 9:1, depending on s