text: Pirkles alcohol is synthesized by trifluoroacetylation of anthracene, to yield trifluoromethyl 9-anthryl ketone. Trifluoromethyl 9-anthryl ketone may be reduced with a chiral hydride reagent prepared from lithium aluminium hydride and (4S,5S)-(–)-2-ethyl-4-hydroxymethyl-5-phenyl-2-oxazoline to generate Pirkles alcohol with R absolute configuration. Alternatively, trifluoromethyl 9-anthryl ketone may be reduced with sodium borohydride to generate racemic Pirkles alcohol. The enantiomers are then derivatized to diastereomeric carbamates using enantioenriched 1-(1-Naphthyl)ethyl isocyanate (also developed by Pirkle). These diastereomers may be separated by column chromatography and hydrolyzed to obtain each enantiomer of Pirkles alcohol in enantiopure form.