Enantioselective synthesis of vicinal halohydrins via dynamic kinetic resolution.

[reaction: see text] Expanding the scope of enantioselective catalysis via DKR, transfer hydrogenation of a variety of cyclic alpha-halo ketones was accomplished using the Noyori/Ikariya (R,R)- or (S,S)-I catalysts and either HCO(2)H/Et(3)N or HCO(2)Na/n-Bu(4)NBr in H(2)O/CH(2)Cl(2) as the hydrogen sources. Good yields of vicinal bromo-, chloro-, and fluorohydrins with excellent de and ee levels were achieved in most cases after a simple tuning of reaction conditions.