A New Preparation of Optically Active <i>N</i>-Acyloxazolidinones via Ruthenium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Hydrogenation

Abstract

α-Methylene- N -acyloxazolidinones are readily prepared in three steps from propargylic alcohols via cyclic carbonates, and the enantioselective hydrogenation of the latter catalyzed by chiral (diphosphine)ruthenium complexes makes possible the obtention of both enantiomers of optically active N -acyloxazolidinones with very high enantioselectivities.