Organocatalytic Asymmetric Fluorination/Semipinacol Rearrangement: An Efficient Approach to Chiral β‐Fluoroketones

Abstract

An asymmetric fluorination/semipinacol rearrangement of 2-oxa allylic alcohols, as catalyzed by cinchona-alkaloid derivatives, gives chiral β-fluoro ketones with moderate to high levels of enantioselectivity (see scheme). Both enantiomers of the product could be obtained by using the appropriate catalyst.