The organocatalytic enantio- and diastereoselective cycloetherification of 1,3-cyclohexanedione-bearing enones involving the in situ generation of chiral cyanohydrins was developed. This transformation offers the first catalytic asymmetric approach to oxadecalin derivatives containing contiguous tetrasubstituted chiral carbons at the bridge heads of the fused ring systems. Depending on substituents
A highly efficient method for kineticresolution of racemic aliphatic alcohols without conversion of the hydroxyl group has been realized; the method involves hydrogenation mediated by a remote ester group and is catalyzed by a chiral iridium complex. This powerful, environmentally friendly method provides chiral δ-alkyl-δ-hydroxy esters and δ-alkyl-1,5-diols in good yields with high enantioselectivities