A modification of the asymmetric dihydroxylation approach to the synthesis of (S)-2-arylpropanoic acids

Abstract Catalytic hydrogenolysis of ( S )-2-phenyl-1,2-propanediol ( 2 ), prepared by an asymmetric dihydroxylation of α-methylstyrene ( 1 ) with AD-mix-α, over Pearlman's catalyst gave ( S )-2-phenyl-1-propanol ( 3 ). This method was applied to the synthesis of optically active 2-arylpropanoic acid anti-inflammatory agents, ( S )-ibuprofen ( 8 ) and ( S )-naproxen ( 13 ).