The Ru-catalyzed enantioselective preparation of chiral halohydrins and their application in the synthesis of (R)-clorprenaline and (S)-sotalol

Abstract

The asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of a series of halo-substituted aryl methyl ketones, including those substituted in both α-methyl and aryl rings, was studied for the preparation of chiral halohydrins. Up to 99.7% ee was obtained with 2-chloro-1-(2-chlorophenyl)ethanone as the substrate and Ru-CsDPEN as the catalyst in an HCOONa/H2O system. (R)-Clorprenaline, a drug used in the treatment of respiratory disorders, such as bronchitis and asthma, and (S)-sotalol, a class-III antiarrhythmic compound, were prepared with these chiral halohydrins. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.