Ruthenium-catalyzed enantioselective hydrogenation of 1,3-O-disubstituted 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-ones

Optically active 1,3-0-disubstituted glycerols were obtained by enantioselecrive homogeneous hydrogenation of the corresponding 1,3-O-disubstituted 1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-ones with different Ru II-binap complexes. The highest enantioseleclivilies were obtained with dimeric chloro-ruthenium complexes on the substrates bearing bulky trityloxy groups