Nitro alkanes in organic synthesis: An efficient stereoselective synthesis of (+)-trans whisky lactone and (+)-eldanolide from nitro alkane synthons and using bakers' yeast reduction as the key step

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(01)80369-0

An efficient route using nitroalkane synthon 3a and 3b for the synthesis of optically pure R-(+)-trans whisky lactone, (+)-9 and R-(+)-eldanolide, (+)-10 is described. In a key step, bakers' yeast reduction is employed to get the required chirality.