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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Retropinacol/Cross-pinacol Coupling Reactions - A Catalytic Access to 1,2-Unsymmetrical Diols
Published on: April 4, 2014
Asymmetric tandem wittig rearrangement/Aldol reactions
Natalie C Giampietro1, Jeff W Kampf, John P Wolfe
1Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, 930 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1055, USA.
Abstract:
A new method for the asymmetric synthesis of alpha-alkyl-alpha,beta-dihydroxy esters that involves tandem Wittig rearrangement/aldol reactions of O-benzyl- or O-allylglycolate esters derived from 2-phenylcyclohexanol is described. This sequence constructs two C-C bonds and two stereocenters, one of which is quaternary, to afford syn diol products with excellent stereocontrol. Cleavage of the chiral auxiliary affords enantiomerically enriched products with up to 95% ee. The application of this method to the preparation of a key intermediate in the synthesis of the antifungal agent alternaric acid is also described.
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