Asymmetric carbon-carbon bond forming reactions

Abstract

Enantioselective alkylations using chiral nucleophiles and electrophiles have been shown to be approaching useful levels of efficiency. Lithio oxazolines and lithio enamines containing chiral centers have been alkylated to give a-substituted carboxylic acids, ketones, and aldehydes. Chiral electrophilic oxazolines react with organolithium reagents to produce very high enantiomeric excesses of β-substituted carboxylic acids and α-hydroxy acids. Studies of the important parameters have been made and some understanding of the mechanistic aspects are in hand. © IUPAC