Chiral Aryl Pyridyl Alcohols as Enantioselective Catalysts in the Addition of Diethylzinc to Substituted Benzaldehydes

Chiral (5‐aryl‐10, 10‐dimethyl‐6‐aza‐tricyclo7.1.1.0^2,7]undeca‐2(7),3,5‐trien‐8‐yl)‐diphenyl‐methanols were prepared from highly enantiopure (1R)‐(+)‐α‐pinene (> 97% ee), and applied in the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to substituted benzaldehydes, to yield alcohols with the (S)‐configuration with an enantiomeric excess that typically ranges from 19 to 86%. Importantly, the electron‐withdrawing substituents at the meta‐position of the substituted benzaldehydes exhibited high enantioselectivity during alkylation using diethylzinc.