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Updated: Oct 7, 2026

Retropinacol/Cross-pinacol Coupling Reactions - A Catalytic Access to 1,2-Unsymmetrical Diols
Published on: April 4, 2014
Direct catalytic enantio- and diastereoselective aldol reaction using a Zn-Zn-linked-BINOL complex: a practical
N Kumagai1, S Matsunaga, N Yoshikawa
1Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
Abstract:
[reaction: see text] The direct catalytic enantio- and diastereoselective aldol reaction with 2-hydroxy-2'-methoxyacetophenone proceeded smoothly using as little as 1 mol % of a dinuclear zinc catalyst, Zn-Zn-linked-BINOL complex 2, to afford alpha,beta-dihydroxy ketones in a highly syn-selective manner (up to syn/anti 97/3) and in excellent yields (up to 95%) and ees (up to 99%). Efficient transformations of the alpha,beta-dihydroxy ketone into an alpha,beta-dihydroxy ester and an alpha,beta-dihydroxy amide via regioselective rearrangements are also described.
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