Recent results in the field of asymmetric synthesis using chiral sulfoxides

Abstract

Chiral sulfoxides are very useful groups in asymmetric synthesis. We have recently concentrated our efforts towards the asymmetric synthesis of optically active poly-hydroxylated chains which are present in many important natural products. Our method is based on the combination of reduction of 3-ketosulfoxides and hydroxylation of the double bond, reactions which have been shown to be extremely stereoselective. This method was improved in order to obtain different stereochemistry in the resulting polyol. Several applications will be described to illustrate this methodology. © 1988 IUPAC