Chiral Transition Metal Complexes Featuring Limonene-Derived Ligands: Roles in Catalysis and Biology

Abstract

Chiral coordination compounds are of growing interest due to their structural diversity and wide applicability. Besides chirality, alcohol and especially oxime-functionalized limonene derivatives confer water solubility, stability, and the appropriate reactivity to enable their use in asymmetric catalysis—such as allylic substitution, alkynylation, transfer hydrogenation, and selective C–C bond formation. Biologically, they have shown promising anticancer, antibacterial, and antibiofilm activity. This review presents an integrated overview of the synthesis, properties, and applications of chiral transition metal complexes featuring ligands derived from inexpensive, naturally occurring R- and S-limonene substrates, and explore their roles in catalysis and biological activity.