title: Samarium diiodide-catalyzed diastereoselective pinacol couplings.
abstract: A complex of samarium diiodide (SmI(2)) with tetraglyme catalyzes the intermolecular pinacol coupling of aromatic or aliphatic aldehydes at loadings of 10 mol % in the presence of Me(2)SiCl(2) and Mg. Diastereoselectivity of up to 95/5 (+/-/meso) has been achieved for aliphatic aldehydes and up to 19/81 (+/-/meso) for aromatic aldehydes. De values of up to 99% have been achieved in intramolecular pinacol coupling reactions using the SmI(2)/tetraglyme/Mg/Me(2)SiCl(2) catalytic system.
authors.affiliation: Donnan and Robert Robinson Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: Helen C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Aspinall
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Greeves
authors.forename: Carine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Valla