Patent ID: 8791262

Claim:
A method of preparing a chiral, non-racemic alcohol from a prochiral aldehyde or prochiral ketone, comprising the step of: reacting a prochiral aldehyde or prochiral ketone with an aromatic compound in the presence of a catalyst; thereby producing a chiral, non-racemic alcohol; wherein said aromatic compound is selected from the group consisting of D is H, alkyl, aralkyl or acyl; E is, independently for each occurrence, H, alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, heteroalkyl, halogen, hydroxy, cyano, amino, acyl, alkoxyl, nitro, thiol, amine, amido, phosphonate, phosphine, carboxyl, sulfonyl, ketone, aldehyde or ester; said chiral, non-racemic alcohol has an enantiomeric excess or diastereomeric excess greater than about 70%; and said catalyst is