Stereo- and Regio-specificity in Organic Synthesis Promoted by Metal Ions

This paper examines regio-and stereo-specificity for reactions of coordinated organic substrates. The reactions involve addition of coordinated nucleophiles where the specificity arises from non-bonded interactions, substituent effects on the metal, orbital steering directed by the chelates and electronic effects imparted by the geometry required for chelation. The reactions examined include hydration of olefins, addition of nucleophiles at coordinated imines, oxidation and alkylation of coordinated mercaptide ions, stereospecific deuteration for chelated N-benzyl glycine and amine synthesis organised by the metal.