Highly enantioselective synthesis of organic compound using right- and left-handed helical silica

Highly enantiomerically enriched (up to 96-97% ee) 5-pyrimidyl alkanol was obtained by the addition of diisopropylzinc to pyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde in the presence of the artificially designed chiral inorganic material, right- and left-handed helical silica. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.