Efficient and modular syntheses of chiral 2-(2-hydroxyaryl)alcohols (HAROLs), novel 1,4-diols carrying one phenolic and one alcohol hydroxyl group, have been developed which led to generation of a small library of structurally diverse HAROL5 in enantiomerically pure form: Of the different HAROLs examined, a HAROL based on the indan backbone exhibited the highest activity and enantioselectivity in the 1,2-addition of certain organometallic compounds to aldehydes in the presence of Ti((OPr)-Pr-i)(4) (up to 97% y, 88% ee) and performed as a hydrogen-bond donor organocatalyst in the Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction, promoted by trialkylphosphines. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.