Catalytic activity of chiral β-hydroxysulfoxides in the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde.

Abstract The first examples of the use of readily available β-hydroxysulfoxides 1–8 as chiral catalysts in the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde are reported. The increase of the steric hindrance around the chiral ligand OH group improves the e.e. of the obtained 1-phenylpropanol, which is higher with tertiary alcohols (25–45%) than with secondary ones ( 3 also affords better e.e. (55%).