A variety of y-aromatic y-ketobutanoic acids can be reduced selectively, under optimized conditions, by the use of DIBAL-H and ZnC1, to provide the (RS, SR)-y-aryl-y-hydroxy-8- methylbutanoic acids. Further evidence has been gathered to support the hypothesis that the reaction proceeds by formation of a seven-membered ring complex with the aluminium or zinc atom bridging the ketone and carboxyl groups which preceeds the reduction step ...
