Enantioselective Oxidation of 1,2-Diols with Quinine-Derived Urea Organocatalyst

Quinine-derived urea has been identified as a highly efficient organocatalyst for the enantioselective oxidation of 1,2-diols using bromination reagents as the oxidant. This simple procedure utilizes readily available reagents and operates at ambient temperature to yield a wide range of a-hydroxy ketones in good yield (up to 94%) and excellent enantioselectivity (up to 95% ee).