Chemistry Letters, Vol.30, No.3, 240-241, 2001
Evidence for ionic interaction between cationic surfactant and anionic intermediate generated in cathodic reduction of acetophenone
The cathodic reduction of acetophenone in the presence of a chiral cationic surfactant in aqueous media gave S- or R-1-phenylethanol with 8-12 % ee. The observed enantioselectivity clearly suggests the interaction between the cationic surfactants and the anionic intermediate generated from the one-electron reduction of acetophenone.