Synthesis and use of chiral substituted benzenes containing 1,2-diols protected as cyclic acetals

1,2-Dihydroxy benzenes have been protected as cyclic diacetals using 2,3-butane dione. These diacetals are extremely robust and can be further chemically diversified and resolved with chirality embedded in the 1,4-dioxane ring attached to the aromatic back bone as a result of the anomeric effect. These systems can serve as ligands, auxiliaries or organocatalysts for asymmetric synthesis.