Chiral Bimetallic Lewis Acids

Abstract

Here, we review the utility of chiral bimetallic (multimetallic) Lewis acidic complexes in catalytic asymmetric transformations. Bimetallic complexes are endowed with dual catalytic functions that synergistically activate multiple substrates and functionalities. This cooperative activation mode is particularly effective for activating low reactivity substrates in a highly stereoselective manner without the aid of stoichiometric activating reagents. The privileged bimetallic catalysts presented here highlight the importance of catalyst design in the development of widely applicable catalytic systems.