Asymmetric reduction of aromatic ketones with chirally modified reagents prepared from sodium borohydride and optically active acids in the presence of 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-.ALPHA.-D-glucofuranose.

Asymmetric reduction of aromatic ketones using chirally modified reagents prepared from sodium borohydride and optically active acids in the presence or absence of 1, 2: 5, 6-di-O-isopropylidene-α-D-glucofuranose produced the corresponding optically active alcohols with optical yields of 447 %. The reagent prepared from sodium borohydride and 1 equivalent of l-malic acid in the presence of 2 equivalents of 1, 2: 5, 6-di-O-isopropylidene-α-D-glucofuranose gave the highest yields.