Enantioselective epimerizations of meso-diols via asymmetric hydrogen atom abstraction catalysis

A new type of asymmetric hydrogen atom abstraction catalysts, originated from the cinchona alkaloid family of natural products, has been successfully developed to access enantioselective epimerizations of meso -diols. After undergoing single-electron oxidation, the catalyst fulfills desymmetrization of meso -diols by selectively traping a hydrogen atom from a carbon center, which subsequently recaptures a hydrogen atom via abstraction from a thiol. The publication of this work will have a significant influence in the field of asymmetric radical chemistry.