dimethylsulfonyloxyoctane-1-carboxylic acid (13), key precursors to R-(+)-α-lipoic acid (6) is
described using OsO4-catalyzed asymmetric dihydroxylation and Ru-catalyzed asymmetric
hydrogenation, respectively, as the key steps in the reaction sequence. These methods lead
to an efficient formal synthesis of R-(+)-α-lipoic acid in 90% ee.