Water-mediated one-pot multi-step synthesis of chiral 1,3-diarylpropan-1-ols by the asymmetric hydrofunctionalisation of simple alkynes

An enantioselective hydration–condensation-asymmetric transfer hydrogenation cascade process of simple alkynes and aldehydes in only water to prepare chiral 1,3-diarylpropan-1-ols has been developed.