found to be a versatile biocatalyst for the desymmetrization of prochiral 3‐arylpentane‐1,5‐diols, based on a two‐step one‐potoxidation. This procedure has allowed the formation of valuable (S)‐lactones in good to excellent conversions and enantiomeric excess. The catalytic performance of HLADH has been studied using several cofactor regeneration systems and cosolvents, finding great improvements in
Chiral 4-aryl-delta-lactones could be synthesized efficiently with high enantioselectivity through asymmetric 1,4-addition of arylboronic acid to alpha,beta-unsaturated lactones using Rh catalyst including electron-poor diphosphine (MeO-F-12-BIPHEP) at room temperature for 1 h. In particular, our catalytic system proved to be applicable to relatively large coumarin analogues, giving optically pure 4-phenylchroman-2-one analogues in a short time.