New and efficient catalysts for enantioselective borohydride reduction of ketones and imines

Optically active aldiminato cobalt(II) complexes have been found to catalyze the enantioselective reduction of ketones with sodium borohydride affording the corresponding optically active secondary alcohols in high chemical yields with high enantioselectivities. The enantioselective borohydride reduction is also applicable to not only C=O bonds in aromatic ketones but also to C=N bonds in aromatic imines.