Patents
A process for the preparation of chiral vicinal diols using the supported osmate catalyst of the formula (S-NR3)2OSO4-NH2O wherein S is a support (resin or silica) containing charge balancing anions as herein described, R is an alkyl group (methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl); n is the number of water molecules; the said, process comprises; assymetrically dihydroxylating the olefin of the kind as herein described in the presence of a cinchona alkaloid such as herein described in a solvent systems consisting of water and atleast one of acetone, acetonitrile and t-butanol in a ratio of 1:1 to 1:3, at a temperature in the range of -70 to 100°C for a period of 0.5 to 24 hrs in the presence of catalytic amount of supported osmate catalyst wherein the supported osmate is 0.01 to 10 mole % of osmium content with respect to substrate, recovering the pure vicinal diol by conventional method as here described.