Chapter 25 - Transferring Chirality in Homogeneous Catalysis

Abstract

The chapter describes homogeneous catalysis as an attractive synthetic methodology that uses transition metal complexes containing coordinated chiral auxiliaries and provides the opportunity to generate fairly large quantities of enantiopure-products using catalytic amounts of chiral catalysts. In biological systems, chiral recognition is achieved by a combination of effects including size and shape, in addition to electrostatic, hydrophobic, and hydrogen bonding interactions. A successful chiral bidentate auxiliary should be intrusive and should have a relatively rigid structure. A large complexed organic substrate may well come quite close to a small chiral auxiliary, whereas with a larger auxiliary, coordination might prove less favourable. Moreover, in a complex with a higher coordination number, a smaller auxiliary may prove more effective. In any case, the auxiliary should be intrusive enough to make itself felt.