Progress in intermolecular pinacol cross coupling methodologies

The reductive carbonyl coupling leading to 1,2-diols, known as pinacol coupling, is conceptually the most direct approach that leads to this structural pattern. From the nineties, exciting developments have resulted in efficient protocols to the coupling of two different carbonyl compounds mixed in approximately equimolar amounts. This article reports the progress that has been made so far and the challenges existing in the methods and their general synthetic application to the construction of complex bioactive substances.