Palladium/zinc co-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of oxabenzonorbornadienes with alcohols as hydrogen sources

Asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of oxabenzonorbornadienes was realized by using alcohols as hydrogen sources under a co-catalytic system of palladium and zinc. Both primary and secondary alcohols could serve as reductants and afforded enantiomerically enriched 1,2-dihydronaphth-1-ol products with high optical purities.