Stereoselective synthesis of chiral tertiary alcohol building blocks via neighbouring group participation from tri-substituted olefins

A regio- and stereoselective preparation of chiral quaternary 1,2/1,3-diols from acyclic tri-substituted alkenes is disclosed. Optically active tertiary alcohols are the constituents of several bioactive natural products, pharmaceuticals and a general method for their preparation is desirable. A sulfinyl moiety has been utilized as an intramolecular nucleophile.