Asymmetric ring-opening of epoxides catalyzed by metal–salen complexes

• The asymmetric ring-opening of epoxides is an important reaction in organic synthesis, since it allows for the enantioselective installation of two vicinal functional groups with specific stereochemistry within one step from a highly available starting material. An effective class of catalysts for the asymmetric ring-opening of epoxides is metal–salen complexes. This review summarizes the development of metal–salen catalyzed enantioselective desymmetrization of meso-epoxides and kinetic resolution of epoxides with various nucleophiles, including the design and application of both homogeneous- and heterogeneous epoxide-opening catalysts as well as multi-metallic covalent and supramolecular catalytic systems.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Industriell bioteknik -- Biokatalys och enzymteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Industrial Biotechnology -- Biocatalysis and Enzyme Technology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Asymmetric catalysis

Epoxide

Kinetic resolution

Ring-opening

Salen complexes

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)