title: Regio- and diastereoselective reduction of nonenolizable alpha-diketones to acyloins mediated by indium metal.
abstract: [reaction: see text] Alpha-diketones are efficiently reduced with indium metal in methanol-water in the presence of NH(4)Cl, LiCl, or NaCl to give regio- and diastereoselectively the corresponding acyloins in good to excellent yield. The cleavage of the acyloins under Pb(OAc)(4)/MeOH-PhH condition provides a convenient and regioselective access to highly functionalized cyclopentane carboxaldehydes, potential building blocks in organic syntheses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur-208 016, India. faiz@iitk.ac.in
authors.forename: Faiz Ahmed
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Jyotirmayee
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dash
authors.forename: Nilam
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sahu
authors.forename: Sharad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta