Polymeric ethyl glyoxylate in an asymmetric aldol reaction catalyzed by diarylprolinol.

Diarylprolinol was found to be an effective organocatalyst of the direct, enantioselective aldol reaction of commercially available polymeric ethyl glyoxylate, affording gamma-ethoxycarbonyl-beta-hydroxy aldehydes, versatile synthetic intermediates, in good yield with excellent enantioselectivity.