Synthesis of Novel Chiral Ionic Liquid and Its Application in Reduction of Prochiral Ketones to the Corresponding Chiral Alcohols Using NaBH₄

Abstract

A novel chiral ionic liquid (CIL) based on nicotinium salt has been synthesized and used as an efficient asymmetric chiral catalyst for reduction of acetophenone derivatives with NaBH₄ in methanol at room temperature. The optically active alcohols were obtained in low to moderate enantiomeric excess in a short reaction time.

Keywords:

• Acetophenone
• asymmetric reduction
• chiral alcohols
• chiral ionic liquid

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We gratefully acknowledge the funding support received for this project from the Isfahan University of Technology (IUT), Iran. Further financial support from Center of Excellence in Sensor and Green Chemistry Research (IUT) is gratefully acknowledged.

Notes

^a Determined by chiral GC analysis.

^a Determined by chiral GC analysis.

^b Absolute configuration determined by comparison of the optical rotation with literature value.^{[ 3 , 5 ,} 11-13 ^]

^a Determined by chiral GC analysis.

^b Absolute configuration determined by comparison of the optical rotation with the literature value.^{[ 3 , 5 ,} 11-13 ^]