Crystal structure of (R)-3,3′-bis(benzyloxymethyl)-1,1′-bi-2,2′-naphthol and its applications in enantioselective lewis acid catalyzed addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes

The title compound (R)-3;3'-bis(benzyloxymethyl)-1,1'-bi-2,2'-naphthol (R)-3 has been synthesized through the deprotection of MOM group by (PrOH)-Pr-i/HCl in 83% isolated yield and the suitable single crystals for X-ray diffraction were obtained by recrystallization at room temperature from the mixture solvents. Crystallographic data for (R)-3: C36H30O4, M-r = 526.60, triclinic, space group P1, a = 10.057(6), b = 11.934(7), c = 12.314(6) angstrom, a = 85.52(2), beta = 70.245(13), gamma = 76.554(11)degrees, Z = 2, V = 1352;8(13) angstrom(3), D-c = 1.293 g/cm(3), F(000) = 556, R = 0.0745, wR = 0.1933 and mu(MoK alpha) = 0.083 mm(-1). The title compound (R)-3 was found to be effective. in the enantioselective addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes both in the presence and absence of Ti((OPr)-Pr-i)(4). In the latter case, (R)-3 showed much higher catalytic activity and enantioselectivity than (R)-BINOL's.