ASYMMETRIC SYNTHESIS OF α-HYDROXY ALDEHYDES

Abstract An asymmetric synthesis of α-hydroxy aldehydes was achieved in high optical yields starting from a keto aminal, prepared from phenylglyoxal and (S)-2-(anilinomethyl)pyrrolidine. By treating the keto aminal with the Grignard reagents and the hydrolysis of resulting hydroxy aminals, α-hydroxy aldehydes were obtained in 94–95% optical yields.