Highly regio- and diastereoselective halohydroxylation of olefins: a facile synthesis of vicinal halohydrins

An efficient method for the synthesis of vicinal chlorohydrin or bromohydrin derivatives has been developed on the basis of direct halohydroxylation of various olefins with electrondonating or withdrawing substituent. The reactions were carried out under mild conditions in the presence of N-tosyl-l-threonine (NTsLT) as an acidic additive using chloramine T trihydrate, 1,3-dichloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DCDMH) or N-bromoacetamide (AcNHBr) as the halogen source, respectively, affording the corresponding vicinal halohydrins in good to high yields with excellent regio- and stereoselectivities.