This invention provides a novel method for the preparation of 2,3-disubstituted-4-oxy-cyclopentan-1-one compounds that are useful for the synthesis of prostaglandins and prostaglandin analogs of industrial relevance. The method comprises the metal-catalyzed asymmetric 1,4-conjugate addition of vinylboron compounds to 2-substituted-4-oxy-cyclopent-2-en-1-ones. This method relies on the use of less toxic, easily-handled reagents, and can be performed under milder conditions than offered by some conventional methods, affording 2,3-disubstituted-4-oxy-cyclopentan-1-one compounds enantio- and diastereoselectively, which are precursors to the said prostaglandin and prostaglandin analogs, in high yield.本發明提供用於製備2,3-二取代-4-氧基-環戊烷-1-酮化合物的新穎方法，所述2,3-二取代-4-氧基-環戊烷-1-酮化合物可用於合成工業相關的前列腺素和前列腺素類似物。所述方法包括乙烯基硼化合物至2-取代-4-氧基-環戊-2-烯-1-酮的金屬催化的不對稱1,4-共軛加成。該方法依靠使用毒性較小的、容易操作的試劑，並且與一些傳統方法提供的條件相比，該方法可在更溫和的條件下進行，以高產率、對映選擇性地和非對映選擇性地提供2,3-二取代-4-氧基-環戊烷-1-酮化合物，這些化合物是所述前列腺素和前列腺素類似物的前體。
