(S)-2-Amino-3-(2,5-dimethylphenyl)-1,1-diphenyl-1-propanol: Synthesis and Application in Enantioselective Reduction of Prochiral Ketones

Abstract

The title chiral amino alcohol 6 was prepared from (s)-3-(2,5-dimethylphenyl)-alanine methyl ester hydrochloride by its reaction with phenyl magnesium bromide. In the presence of 2 mol% of 6, the borane reduction of prochiral ketones gave optically active secondary alcohols in high yields with the ee's ranged from 40.5 to 100%.