New aspects of Soai's asymmetric autocatalysis

Abstract

(Figure Presented) Photolysis with circularly polarized light combined with Soai's asymmetric autocatalysis in the reaction of 2-(tert-butyl-ethynyl) pyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde (1, R C CtBu) with iPr2Zn results in the amplification of ≈ 0.005 % ee to about 65 % ee in one step (see scheme). This reaction may serve as a model for how chiral amplification occurred in the prebiotic era. © 2005 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.