Substituent effects in the enantioselective reduction of acetophenones with nabh4 in the presence of β-cyclodextrin

The effect of substituent groups on asymmetric induction by β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was investigated in the reduction of a series of o-, m-, and p-substituted acetophenones (X = H, Br, Cl, CH₃, NO₂, OCH₃) with aqueous NaBH₄. The inclusion of the ketones studied in β-CD led to water-insoluble compounds so that the reaction proceeded in the solid state. The substitutions resulted generally in higher enantioselectivities than that obtained for acetophenone indicating stronger host—guest interactions. Acetophenone and its m- and p-derivatives gave preponderantly the (?)-alcohol while the prevailing enantiomer was the (+)-alcohol in the case of the o-derivatives. The enantioface selectivity was found to be mainly governed by steric demands imposed by the size and the shape of the β-CD cavity in the case of the o-substituted acetophenones and by hydrophobic interactions in the case of the m-derivatives. A more complicated situation arose from the asymmetic reduction of p-derivatives where a combination of these factors with hydrogen bonding of the carbonyl group to the hydroxyls of β-CD are responsible for the enantioselectivity. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.