%0 Journal Article %A LI Chunrong %A LI Huanyong %A TAN Wei %A WANG Lin %A WANG Sanyong %A YANG Dingqiao %T Asymmetric Synthesis of L-menthol %D 2015 %R 10.11944/j.issn.1000-0518.2015.06.140332 %J Chinese Journal of Applied Chemistry %P 641-646 %V 32 %N 6 %X

L-menthol was synthesized from the starting materials of 4-hydroxy-2-butanone and mesityl oxide in four steps consisting of aldol condensation, asymmetric hydrogenation, reduction of carbonyl group, and ruthenium catalyzed hydrogenation. The total yield is 33% and the diastereomeric excess is 93%. Furthermore, the effects of copper catalysts and their loading, chiral ligands, reaction time and solvents on the asymmetric hydrogenation of piperitenone were discussed in details. The intermediates and target compound were identified and characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HRMS.

%U http://yyhx.ciac.jl.cn/EN/10.11944/j.issn.1000-0518.2015.06.140332