Development of a new methodology for the preparation of optically active alcohols

Abstract

This article summarizes our recent achievements in the asymmetric catalytic formation of chiral alcohols using 3-substituted, 2-azanorbornyl-based ligands. The use of this structural unit in ligand synthesis offers several advantages over the analogous proline chemistry, such as equal availability of both enantiomers and increased rigidity of the catalysts. This ligand has been found to be very useful for the two reactions described in this paper: the ruthenium-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation of ketones, and the base-mediated rearrangement of epoxides.