Asymmetric Desymmetrization of Saturated and Unsaturated meso-1,2-Diols

An asymmetric desymmetrization of saturated and unsaturated cyclic and acyclic meso-1,2-diols has been developed from the ene acetals, prepared from the norbornene carboxyaldehyde and meso-1,2-diols. The intramolecular haloetherification of the ene acetals as a key step afforded 8-membered acetals in a stereoselective manner just by the reaction of norbornene olefin even when the ene acetals from unsaturated meso-1,2-diols having olefins in the same molecule were used. Subsequent reductive elimination, followed by protecting the hydroxy group and transacetalization, gave optically active 1,2-diol derivatives and the starting ene acetals in good yields.