Preparation and Synthetic Use of Enantiopure Naphthalene Dihydrodiols

Asymmetric diols can be used in organic synthesis as chiral synthons or auxiliaries. These two uses show different scopes. In the first case the compound substructure must be present in the final product and, consequently, the possibilities are limited by the number of the possible targets. In the second case the number of variables is greater and the combinations are virtually infinite. In this respect, the use of enantiopure diols has found large coverage, also favored by the availability of enzymatically prepared substrates. In this review we will focus on the use of a special subclass of diols, those derived from naphthalene precursors. An account of both uses will be presented, taking special care of the potential future developments. In addition, a brief account on the preparation methodology of enantiopure 1,2-dihydro-1,2- dihydroxy naphthalenes will be presented.