title: Practical synthesis of optically active styrene oxides via reductive transformation of 2-chloroacetophenones with chiral rhodium catalysts.
abstract: [reaction: see text] A practical method for the synthesis of optically active styrene oxides has been developed via formation of optically active 2-chloro-1-phenylethanols generated by reductive transformation of ring-substituted 2-chloroacetophenones. The optically active alcohols with up to 98% ee are obtainable from the asymmetric reduction of acetophenones with an S/C = 1000-5000 with a formic acid triethylamine mixture containing a well-defined chiral Rh complex, CpRhCl[(R,R)-Tsdpen].
authors.affiliation: AminoScience Laboratories, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1, Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-8681 Japan.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.forename: Takayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Torii
authors.forename: Kunisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Izawa
authors.forename: Ryoji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Noyori
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikariya