The stereoselective addition of water across C= C bonds transforms prochiral alkenes to nonracemic alcohols and represents a major challenge in synthetic organic chemistry. In general, alkene hydration is an equilibrium reaction slightly favoring the alcohol side in 1, 4- additions and somewhat disfavored on isolated C= C bonds.[1] Acid-catalyzed alkene hydration, which follows the rule of Markovnikov, usually proceeds with low ...
