1,3-Transposition of Primary Allylic Alcohols: Synthesis of Optically Active Secondary and Tertiary Allylic Alcohols.

Abstract The reduction of optically active 2,3-epoxy alcohols, suitably prepared by the Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation of primary allylic alcohols, with the system triphenylphosphine/iodine/imidazole/2,6-lutidine/water, leads in a single step to optically active secondary and tertiary allylic alcohols.