Efficient Synthesis of ( R )-Phenylephrine Using a Polymer-supported Corey–Bakshi–Shibata Catalyst

An efficient and mild synthetic route to (R)-phenylephrine hydrochloride using Corey–Bakshi–Shibata (CBS) catalyst was reported. In order to avoid a lengthy recovery process of the catalyst from homogeneous reaction, a polymer-supported CBS catalyst was prepared, and a preliminary attempt was made to achieve a continuous reduction on a laboratory scale, which contributes to synthesis of (R)-phenylephrine in a cost-effective way.