Catalytic enantioselective synthesis of secondary allylic alcohols from terminal alkynes and aldehydes via 1-alkenylboron reagents.

A practical one-pot method has been developed for preparing enantioenriched secondary allylic alcohols starting from terminal alkynes and aldehydes. Hydroboration of terminal alkynes with dicyclohexylborane and subsequent reaction of the resulting alkenylboron reagents with aldehydes in the presence of a catalytic amount (5 mol %) of 3-(3,5-diphenylphenyl)-H(8)-BINOL and excess titanium tetraisopropoxide afforded the corresponding allylic alcohols in high enantioselectivities up to 94% ee.