Synthesis 2008(16): 2547-2550  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1067167
PAPER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ˙ New York

A New Enantioselective Catalytic Route to Florhydral®

Sara Bovo, Alberto Scrivanti, Matteo Bertoldini, Valentina Beghetto, Ugo Matteoli*
Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Venezia, Calle Larga S. Marta 2137, 30123 Venezia, Italy
Fax: +39(041)2348967; e-Mail: matteoli@unive.it;
Further Information

Publication History

Received 15 April 2008
Publication Date:
08 July 2008 (online)

Abstract

The valuable fragrance Florhydral® [3-(3-isopropylphenyl)butanal] has been synthesized in almost enantiomerically pure form by a new catalytic route. The key step of the process is the enantioselective hydrogenation of (E)-3-(3-isopropylphenyl)but-2-en-1-ol, which is carried out with asymmetric inductions of up to 97% using an iridium-phosphinooxazoline chiral catalyst.