Design and Synthesis of Novel C2-Symmetric Chiral Piperazines and an Application to Asymmetric Acylation of σ-Symmetric 1,2-Diols

[Structure: see text] A novel alicyclic chiral C2-symmetric piperazine, (S,S)-7, is designed and synthesized from L-proline. Benzoylation of a series of cyclic and acyclic meso-1,2-diols with a catalytic amount of (S,S)-7 and CuCl2 provided optically active monobenzoates with high enantioselectivity.