Absolute asymmetric Reduction Based. on the relative orientation of achiral reactants

Abstract

Interested in chirality? Absolutely! The breaking of molecular symmetry in the absence of a chiral species is known as absolute asymmetric synthesis. In a purely geometric absolute method for the enantioselective reduction of prochiral ketones, the appropriate surface of an achiral single crystal of the ketone was exposed to NaBH4, and the relative spatial orientation of the achiral reactants determined the handedness of the product (see picture). © 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.