10.1002/ejoc.200601101
The study presents an investigation into the scandium-bipyridine-catalyzed enantioselective ring-opening of meso-epoxides using aliphatic alcohols. The research focuses on optimizing the reaction conditions to achieve high yields and enantioselectivities for the production of valuable 1,2-diol monoethers. The study evaluates various metal triflates, solvents, temperatures, ligand architectures, and catalyst loadings to enhance the catalytic efficiency. It was found that scandium-bipyridine complexes, particularly Sc(OTf)3 with bipyridine ligand 2, were the most effective catalysts, providing the best combination of activity and selectivity. The research also explores the scope and limitations of the reaction with different epoxides and alcohols, as well as the potential for catalyst loading reduction without compromising yield or enantioselectivity. A strong positive non-linear effect was observed, indicating aggregation phenomena of the chiral catalyst, which was further supported by structural insights from X-ray crystallography and ESI-MS spectra. The study contributes to the field by providing a method for the enantioselective synthesis of 1,2-diol monoethers from meso-epoxides and aliphatic alcohols.