Deracemization by Enantiodifferentiating Inversion in 1,3‐Diols

From a 1:1 mixture of enantiomers to an enantiomerically pure product—the method of “enantiodifferentiating inversion” can be used to convert a complex mixture of diol isomers into a single product, containing a sequence of four asymmetric centers found in several important natural products. In this approach a 1,3-diol with a P and a Σ center reacts to give a diol with two P centers (see reaction on the right).