OPTICALLY ACTIVE CHIRAL COMPOUNDS, PROCESS FOR THEIR PREPARATION AND USE OF THESE COMPOUNDS IN THE PROTECTION OF FUNCTIONAL -OH, -SH, -NH- GROUPS, IN THE SEPARATION OF RACEMATES, IN THE PREPARATION OF OPTICALLY ACTIVE IMIDOESTER HYDROCHLORIDES AND OF OPTICALLY ACTIVE ESTERS, IN THE PREPARATION OF OPTICALLY ENRICHED ALCOHOLS AND IN THE PREPARATION OF OPTICALLY ACTIVE COMPOUNDS BY ASYMMETRIC INDUCTION

The invention declares new chiral, optically active compounds of the general formula (I) wherein a 5 or 6 membered lactol ring (E), with X and Y meaning (CR1R2)n, with n=0 to 2 and R1, R2=H, lower alkyl or aryl in any combination which does not impair the anomeric selectivity of I in forming acetals, is fused in a stereospecific manner to a bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane ring system, with A,B,C,D meaning H or methyl in any combination, preferably a bornan ring system, and wherein W has the meaning of H, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or cycloalkyl or the ring system itself, preferably H, and lower alkyl; and in the case of W=H its anhydro compound of the general formula (V) with A,B,C,D,X,Y and n having the same meaning as in the hydrated form, processes for their preparation and use of these new compounds for the protection of -OH, -SH, -NH- functions, for racemic resolution, for the preparation of optically active imidoester chlorohydrates as well as of optically active esters, for the preparation of optically enriched alcohols and for the preparation of optically active compounds via asymmetric induction.