Patrick J. Walsh, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
We have developed several highly enantio- and diastereoselective one-pot methods for the efficient synthesis of synthetically useful cyclopropyl alcohols. Our methods take advantage of a highly enantioselective C-C bond-forming reaction to set the initial chirality. The resulting allylic zinc alkoxide intermediate is then subjected to either cyclopropanation or halocyclopropanation. This method allows generation of up to 4 stereogenic centers in a one-pot procedure from achiral precursors.