A novel multi-step process for preparing the (4S &cir& _-enantiomer of 4-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3,4-dihydro-1(2H)-naphthalenone in a highly-optically pure form is disclosed. The process involves (1) first esterifying 4-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-ketobutanoic acid with isopropylene or isobutylene to form the corresponding isopropyl or t &cir& _e &cir& _r &cir& _t &cir& _.-butyl 4-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-ketobutanoate; (2) then reducing the ketobutanoic acid ester obtained in the first step with an asymmetric carbonyl reducing agent to form the corresponding chiral isopropyl or t &cir& _e &cir& _r &cir& _t &cir& _.-butyl 4-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-(4R &cir& _)-hydroxybutanoate; (3) then sulfonylating the (4R &cir& _)-hydroxybutanoic acid ester with methanesulfonyl, benzenesulfonyl or p &cir& _-toluenesulfonyl chloride or bromide in the presence of a standard base to yield the corresponding isopropyl or t &cir& _e &cir& _r &cir& _t &cir& _.-butyl 4-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-(4R &cir& _)-sulfonyloxybutanoate; (4) next subjecting the 4-sulfonyloxybutanoic acid ester obtained in the third step to a copper-coupling reaction with dilithium diphenyl(cyano)cuprate of the formula PHI 2Cu(CN)Li2 to effect a stereochemical displacement of the organic (4R &cir& _)-sulfonyloxy group of the (4R &cir& _)-sulfonyloxybutanoic acid ester by the phenyl group of the dilithium diphenylcuprate reagent and so selectively form the corresponding isopropyl or t &cir& _e &cir& _r &cir& _t &cir& _.-butyl 4-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-(4R &cir& _)-phenylbutanoate, and (5) thereafter cyclizing the stereospecific (4R &cir& _)-phenylated n-butanoic acid ester in the presence of a protic or Lewis acid catalyst to finally yield the desired (4S &cir& _)-4-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-3,4-dihydro-1(2H)-naphthalenone compound in a highly-optically pure form. The latter compound, which is a novel (4S &cir& _)-enantiomer per se, has utility as an intermediate that ultimately leads to pure c &cir& _i &cir& _s &cir& _-(1S &cir& _)(4S &cir& _)N-methyl-4-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-naphthaleneamine (sertraline), which is a known antidepressant agent. The aforementioned isopropyl and t &cir& _e &cir& _r &cir& _t &cir& _.-butyl esters of 4-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-(4R &cir& _)-hydroxybutanoic acid, as well as their corresponding (4R &cir& _)-methanesulfonyl, (4R &cir& _)-benzenesulfonyl and (4R &cir& _)-p &cir& _-toluenesulfonyl derivatives, are also novel compounds, as are the aforementioned isopropyl and t &cir& _e &cir& _r &cir& _t &cir& _.-butyl esters of 4-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-(4R &cir& _)-phenylbutanoic acid as well as the aforesaid acid per se. These novel chiral compounds are all useful as key intermediates in the overall process of the present invention.
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