Enantioselective Preparation of sec. Alcohols from Aldehydes and Dialkyl Zinc Compounds, Generated in situ from Grignard Reagents, Using Substoichiometric Amounts of TADDOL-Titanates

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0040-4020(92)80023-9

Using the Schlenk trick (precipitation of MgX2 from etheral solutions by the addition of 1,4-dioxane) mixtures of a Grignard reagent RMgX (X = Cl, Br, I) and 0.5 equiv.ZnCl2 in Et2O can be converted to zinc alkyls R2Zn which in turn are added with enantioselectivities of up to 99:1 to aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes in the presence of Ti(OCHMe2)4 and a chiral titanate derived from an α,α,α',α'-tetraaryl-1,3-dioxolane-4,5-dimethanol (TADDOL).Grignard reagents containing remote double bonds, benzene rings, or acetal groups can also be employed.Different TADDOLs are compared with respect to their usefulness in this kind of enantioselective reactions.