Synthesis 2017; 49(03): 484-503
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1588888
short review
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Substrate-Controlled Aldol Reactions from Chiral α-Hydroxy Ketones

Gabriel Aullón
b   Departament de Química Inorgànica i Orgànica, Secció de Química Inorgànica, Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Martí i Franqués 1-11, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain   Email: pedro.romea@ub.edu   Email: felix.urpi@ub.edu
,
Pedro Romea*
a   Departament de Química Inorgànica i Orgànica, Secció de Química Orgànica, Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Martí i Franqués 1-11, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
,
Fèlix Urpí*
a   Departament de Química Inorgànica i Orgànica, Secció de Química Orgànica, Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Martí i Franqués 1-11, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received: 26 July 2016

Accepted after revision: 02 September 2016

Publication Date:
12 October 2016 (online)


Dedicated to Professor Clayton H. Heathcock on the occasion of his 80th birthday

Abstract

Chiral α-hydroxy ketones are valuable platforms from which highly stereoselective substrate-controlled aldol reactions may be performed. The suitable choice of the hydroxyl protecting group and the enolization conditions produce aldol adducts that can be easily manipulated to give a variety of enantiomerically pure compounds. Moreover, such aldol reactions often play a crucial role in the coupling of elaborate fragments in advanced steps of the synthesis of natural products. Together, these features confer to the α-hydroxy ketones a prominent position among the chiral substrates that are capable of providing highly asymmetric transformations.

1 Introduction

2 Pioneering Contributions

3 Boron-Mediated Aldol Reactions from α-Hydroxy Ethyl Ketones

4 Titanium-Mediated Aldol Reactions from α-Hydroxy Ethyl Ketones

5 Other Aldol Reactions from α-Hydroxy Ethyl Ketones

6 Aldol Reactions from α-Hydroxy Methyl Ketones

7 Conclusions