Highly enantioselective asymmetric autocatalysis induced by chiral cobalt complexes due to the topology of the coordination of achiral ligands

Abstract

Chiral octahedral cobalt complexes, K[Co(edta)]·2H2O and K[Co(trdta)]·2H2O, induce enantioselective addition of diisopropylzinc to pyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde, affording the pyrimidyl alkanol with high (85–94%) enantiomeric excesses.