This specialty chemical mixture, commonly known as AD-mix α, is a catalytic system featuring hydroquinidine 1,4-phthalazinediyl ether ((DHQD)₂PHAL) as the chiral ligand, along with potassium osmate dihydrate, potassium carbonate, and potassium ferricyanide. It is primarily used in the pharmaceutical industry for the Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation of alkenes, enabling the stereoselective synthesis of vicinal diols. These diols serve as key intermediates in the development of chiral pharmaceuticals, including antiarrhythmic and cardiovascular drugs. Additionally, it is employed in research settings to produce enantiomerically pure compounds for drug discovery and to study synthetic methodologies for complex molecules.