Novel dimethoxy(aminoalkoxy)borate derived from (S)-diphenylprolinol as highly efficient catalyst for the enantioselective boron-mediated reduction of prochiral ketones

The novel dimethoxyl(aminoalkoxy)borate 1 was isolated as a white crystalline dimer joined by H-bonding as evidenced by X-ray analysis, and demonstrated to be a highly effective catalyst for the asymmetric reduction of representative prochiral ketones with borane–DMS. Optically pure alcohols were obtained using only 1 mol % of catalyst 1 in up to 99% ee.