Progress in Asymmetric Catalytic Reduction of Diketones

Chiral diols are an integral part of chiral building blocks and synthetic intermediates. Transition metal-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation and transfer hydrogenation of diketones are recognized as one of the most straightforward and efficient methods for the preparation of enantiomerically enriched diols. Meanwhile, the mono-reduction product of diketones, chiral hydroxyketones, has wide application in chiral fragment construction as well, among which, desymmetrization of cyclic diketones possesses the capability of establishing multiple chiral centers in one step. In this paper, research progress of asymmetric hydrogenation and transfer hydrogenation of diketone compounds in recent decades is reviewed from the perspective of different substrate types (1,2-/1,3-/1,4-diketones), with emphasis on the influence of coordination mode between substrate and catalyst species on the stereoselectivity. In addition, future challenges and development tendencies in this field are summarized and prospected.