Acetal pentane-2,4-diol-derived

Chiral diols have also been prepared starting from meso-compounds [68-71]. Since meso-compounds are, in essence, symmetric molecules, the same applies as for the other symmetric starting materials. Indeed, this is exactly what was found Even though the stereocenters of the protected heptane tetrol are far away from the ester groups that are to be hydrolysed stereoselectively, this is what happens [69, 70]. The high selectivity is partly due to the fact that the secondary alcohol groups are protected as a cyclic acetal, giving additional structural information to the enzyme (Scheme 6.20 A). A cyclic acetal also provides additional structural information in the enantioselective hydrolysis of a pentane tetrol derivative (Scheme 6.20 B) [71]. In both cases Pseudomonas fluorescens lipase (PFL) proved to be the enzyme of choice. 

The alkenyl oxonium ion dienophiles generated from dioxolanes can be made diastereoselective by use of chiral diols. For example, acetals derived from anti-pentane-2,4-diol react under the influence of TiCl4/Ti(/-OPr)4 with stereoselectivity ranging from 3 1 to 15 1. 

The first reports on asymmetric hydroformylation using diphosphite ligands revealed no asymmetric induction [71], In 1992, Takaya et al. published the results of the asymmetric hydroformylation of vinyl acetate (e.e.=50%) with chiral diphosphites [72], In 1992, an important breakthrough appeared in the patent literature when Babin and Whiteker at Union Carbide reported the asymmetric hydroformylation of various alkenes with e.e. s up to 90%, using bulky diphosphites derived from homochiral (2R,4R)-pentane-2, 4-diol (see Figure 8.20). Van Leeuwen et al. studied the influence of the bridge length, bulky substituents and cooperativity of chiral centres on the performance of the catalyst [73,74],... 

Optically active dialkyl tartrates and (2i ,4/ )-pentane-2,4-diol were used as homochiral protecting groups in a, 6-unsaturated acetals 51 and 52 which were subjected to Simmons-Smith reaction with diethylzinc and diiodomethane to give cyclopropyl derivatives with a de of > 69% (Table 1). The acetal group was readily converted to the aldehyde by acidic hydrolysis or to the acid by ozonolysis. 

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