Asymmetric Indium-Mediated Synthesis of Homopropargylic Alcohols

Significance

The asymmetric addition of propargyl organometallics to aldehydes is a direct method for the preparation of chiral homopropargylic alcohols, which are valuable synthetic intermediates. Herein, a simple method of the enantioselective addition of organoindium compounds to aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes is reported. The reaction protocol is simple and the used chiral catalyst is commercially available; besides, it can be quantitatively recovered after the reaction. Good enantioselectivities (75-95%) were achieved with wide range of substrates.