Asymmetric Autocatalysis Induced by Octahedral Tris(acetylacetonato)chromium(III) Complex as a Homogeneous Chiral Initiator

Enantioselective addition of diisopropylzinc to 2-t-butylethynylpyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde in the presence of chiral Δ- and Λ-tris(acetylacetonato)chromium(III) complex [Cr(acac)3] affords highly enantiomerically enriched (S)- and (R)-5-pyrimidyl alkanols, respectively, in conjunction with asymmetric autocatalysis. The absolute configuration of the corresponding 2-t-butylethynyl-5-pyrimidyl alkanol is dependent upon the chirality of the octahedral chromium(III) complex.