Racemization Noyori catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation

Related catalytic enantioselective processes It is worthy of note that the powerful Ti-catalyzed asymmetric epoxidation procedure of Sharpless [27] is often used in the preparation of optically pure acyclic allylic alcohols through the catalytic kinetic resolution of easily accessible racemic mixtures [28]. When the catalytic epoxidation is applied to cyclic allylic substrates, reaction rates are retarded and lower levels of enantioselectivity are observed. Ru-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation has been employed by Noyori to effect the resolution of five- and six-membered allylic carbinols [29] in this instance, as with the Ti-catalyzed procedure, the presence of an unprotected hydroxyl function is required. Perhaps the most efficient general procedure for the enantioselective synthesis of this class of cyclic allylic ethers is that recently developed by Trost and co-workers, involving Pd-catalyzed asymmetric additions of alkoxides to allylic esters [30]. 

KRs based on the oxidation of a chiral secondary alcohol to a prochiral ketone has been of considerable interest as the later can be usually recycled into the racemic starting material by simple hydride reduction [2d, 55]. The first broadly applicable method for this purpose was reported by Noyori et al. [56], under catalytic hydride transfer conditions similar to those employed for the asymmetric hydrogenation of ketones. For example, excellent results (s>50) have been reported for the KR of benzyhc alcohols by using a chiral diamine-ruthenium complex in the... 

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