A Useful Preparation of O-protected α-Hydroxyketones of Defined Enantiomeric Purity from 2-Hydroxyalkanoic Esters

Article abstract of DOI:10.1055/s-1986-31478

α-Hydroxyketones (OH-protected) are prepared in high enantiomeric purity by reaction of chiral O-protected 2-hydroxyalkanoic esters with organolithium compounds in ether/pentane at -100 deg C or by conversion of 2-hydroxyalkanoic esters into 2-hydroxy-N,N-dimethylalkanamides, O-protection of these amides, and reaction with organomagnesium bromides in tetrahydrofuran/ether at 5 deg C.