Various asymmetric reactions have been reported using carbohydrates as the chiral influence2, including markedly enantioselective reductions with lithium aluminium hydride complexed with carbohydrate diol9. In the latter class, the potential simplification of interpretation when using chiral diols which contain a C, axis of symmetry has been pointed out4. However, when symmetrical diols derived from D-mannitol and containing free ...
