The reduction of unhindered ketones, such as acetylenic ketones, with B-3-pinanyl-9- borabicyclo [3.3. l] nonane (Alpine-Borane, prepared by hydroboration of a-pinene with 9- BBN) provides a simple means of forming chiral, nonracemic alcohols of known absolute configuration in high enantiomeric purity. A dehydroboration-reduction mechanism leading to racemic alcohol is believed to be responsible for erosion of the enantiomeric efficiency ...
[Ebner, David C.; Bagdanoff, Jeffrey T.; Ferreira, Eric M.; McFadden, Ryan M.; Caspi, Daniel D.; Trend, Raissa M.; Stoltz, Brian M. Chemistry - A European Journal, 2009 , vol. 15, # 47 p. 12978 - 12992]