Asymmetric catalysis transformations

The Sharpless-Katsuki asymmetric epoxidation (AE) procedure for the enantiose-lective formation of epoxides from allylic alcohols is a milestone in asymmetric catalysis [9]. This classical asymmetric transformation uses TBHP as the terminal oxidant, and the reaction has been widely used in various synthetic applications. There are several excellent reviews covering the scope and utility of the AE reaction... 

Abstract While the use of stoichiometric amounts of sparteine and related ligands in various asymmetric reactions often lead to highly enantioselective transformations, there have been far fewer applications of sparteine to asymmetric catalysis. The aim of this review is to highlight recent advances in the field of asymmetric transformations that use sparteine as chiral auxiliary, emphasizing the use of substoichiometric or catalytic amounts of this ligand. 

Chiral amines and diamines are readily available substrates for the synthesis of ligands for transition metal-catalysed reactions since they can easily be transformed into chiral ureas and thioureas. Therefore, several groups have prepared chiral symmetrical ureas and thioureas, dissymmetrical ureas and thioureas, amino-urea and thiourea derivatives. Finally polyureas and non-soluble polythioureas were also prepared and tested as ligands for asymmetric catalysis. 

Annual Volume 71 contains 30 checked and edited experimental procedures that illustrate important new synthetic methods or describe the preparation of particularly useful chemicals. This compilation begins with procedures exemplifying three important methods for preparing enantiomerically pure substances by asymmetric catalysis. The preparation of (R)-(-)-METHYL 3-HYDROXYBUTANOATE details the convenient preparation of a BINAP-ruthenium catalyst that is broadly useful for the asymmetric reduction of p-ketoesters. Catalysis of the carbonyl ene reaction by a chiral Lewis acid, in this case a binapthol-derived titanium catalyst, is illustrated in the preparation of METHYL (2R)-2-HYDROXY-4-PHENYL-4-PENTENOATE. The enantiomerically pure diamines, (1 R,2R)-(+)- AND (1S,2S)-(-)-1,2-DIPHENYL-1,2-ETHYLENEDIAMINE, are useful for a variety of asymmetric transformations hydrogenations, Michael additions, osmylations, epoxidations, allylations, aldol condensations and Diels-Alder reactions. Promotion of the Diels-Alder reaction with a diaminoalane derived from the (S,S)-diamine is demonstrated in the synthesis of (1S,endo)-3-(BICYCLO[2.2.1]HEPT-5-EN-2-YLCARBONYL)-2-OXAZOLIDINONE. 

In the last few years, asymmetric catalysis by means of chiral Lewis acids has led to highly enantioselective protocols for a variety of synthetic transformations, including important C-C bond formation processes. The most successful chiral Lewis acids for catalytic enantioselective C-C bond formation contain B(III), Al(III), Ti(IV), Sn(II), and rare earth metals. 

The field of asymmetric catalysis in synthesis is far from mature however. There are a considerable number of important chemical transformations that do not yet have a catalytic enantioselective variant, and few of the existing catalytic asymmetric reactions - perhaps none of them - are truly general. Some argue that there are no general methods, asymmetric or not several asymmetric variations of the same general transformation may therefore be needed. Furthermore, many of the applications that were discussed here were employed by researchers that also developed the asymmetric methods we have not reached a stage yet, when scientists not involved in the discovery and development of catalytic asymmetric reactions regularly utilize such protocols. It is hoped that this article... 

Bifunctional catalysts have proven to be very powerful in asymmetric organic transformations [3], It is proposed that these chiral catalysts possess both Brpnsted base and acid character allowing for activation of both electrophile and nucleophile for enantioselective carbon-carbon bond formation [89], Pioneers Jacobsen, Takemoto, Johnston, Li, Wang and Tsogoeva have illustrated the synthetic utility of the bifunctional catalysts in various organic transformations with a class of cyclohexane-diamine derived catalysts (Fig. 6). In general, these catalysts contain a Brpnsted basic tertiary nitrogen, which activates the substrate for asymmetric catalysis, in conjunction with a Brpnsted acid moiety, such as urea or pyridinium proton. 

While the significance of the bifunctional Brpnsted base catalysts has been illustrated in the previous sections, few examples rely solely on a Brpnsted base interaction for asymmetric catalysis. However, in the past few decades, a novel catalyst system has emerged as a powerful promoter of chiral transformations. The guanidines have gained the reputation as super bases in organic transformations. 

Simultaneous publication of the iminium ion catalysed hydrophosphination of a,p-unsaturated aldehydes by Melchiorre and Cordova showed diarylprolinol silyl ether 55 was effective in the conjugate addition of diphenylphosphine 74 [117, 118], Direct transformation of the products allowed for one-pot methods for the preparation of P-phosphine alcohols 75 (72-85% yield 90-98% ee), P-phosphine oxide acids 76 (65% yield 92% ee) and 3-amino phosphines 77 (71% yield 87% ee) (Scheme 34). These reports represent the first examples of the addition of P-centred nucleophiles and the resulting highly functionalised products may well have further use in asymmetric catalysis. 

The majority of chemical methods for the asymmetric hydrogenation of unsaturated systems rely on the use of transition metal catalysts or stoichiometric amounts of metal hydride. The chemical importance of this transformation has led to the development of some of the most powerful and efficient methods in catalytic asymmetric synthesis. Routinely used on the milligram to multi-tonne scale, they represent one of the biggest success stories of asymmetric catalysis [120]. 

Mannich reactions give rise to (i-amino carbonyl compounds which are amenable to further synthetic manipulations. Numerous stereoselective variants have been achieved by means of different types of catalysts including both metal complexes and organic molecules. In 2004, the groups of Akiyama and Terada independently selected this transformation as a model reaction for the introduction of a novel chiral motif to asymmetric catalysis [14, 15]. 

Unlike the ferrocenes, the arene complexes of chromium, in particular the arenechromi-umtricarbonyls, have seen much less use in asymmetric catalysis. This is beginning to change, however , and a number of synthetic transformations of arenechromiumtricar-bonyls owe their existence to the formation of planar chiral chromium complexes by... 

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