Chemistry Letters, Vol.36, No.1, 30-31, 2007
Asymmetric autocatalysis induced by octahedral tris(acetylacetonato)chromium(III) complex as a homogeneous chiral initiator
Enantioselective addition of diisopropylzinc to 2-t-butylethynylpyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde in the presence of chiral Delta-and Lambda-tris(acetylacetonato)chromium (III) complex [Cr(acac)(3)] affords highly enantiomerically enriched (S)- and (R)-5-pyrimidyl alkanols, respectively, in conjunction with asymmetric autocatalysis. The absolute configuration of the corresponding 2-tbutylethynyl-5-pyrimidyl alkanol is dependent upon the chirality of the octahedral chromium(III) complex.