Preparation of New Chiral Building Blocks: Highly Enantioselective Reduction of Prochiral 1,3-Cycloalkanediones Possessing a Methyl Group and a Protected Hydroxymethyl Group at Their C2 Position with Baker's Yeast or CBS Catalyst
Highly enantioselective reduction of five-, six-, seven-, and eight-membered prochiral 1,3-cycloalkanediones possessing a methyl group and a protected hydroxymethyl group at their C2 position with baker's yeast or CBS catalyst and a new efficient and general method for preparing the 1,3-cycloalkanediones have been developed. These baker's yeast mediated reductions were found to produce corresponding