An expedient synthesis of enantioenriched substituted (2-benzofuryl)arylcarbinols via tandem Rap–Stoermer and asymmetric transfer hydrogenation reactions

An expedient synthesis of enantioenriched substituted (benzofuran-yl)-aryl and heteroaryl carbinols, is described. A key feature of this protocol is synthesis of functionally varied benzofuran scaffolds via a Rap–Stoermer reaction/catalytic asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) using substituted salicylaldehyde and α-haloaryl, heteroaryl ketones.