1.
J Org Chem
; 87(11): 7521-7530, 2022 06 03.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35605190
ABSTRACT
A ruthenium-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of 2,3-disubstituted flavanones was developed for the construction of three contiguous stereocenters under basic conditions through a combination of dynamic kinetic resolution and retro-oxa-Michael addition, giving chiral flavanols with excellent enantioselectivities and diastereoselectivities. The reaction proceeded via a base-catalyzed retro-oxa-Michael addition to racemize two stereogenic centers simultaneously in concert with a highly enantioselective ketone transfer hydrogenation step. The asymmetric transfer hydrogenation could be achieved at gram scale without loss of the activity and enantioselectivity.