Chiral organoboranes, readily available via asymmetric hydroboration or the Matteson asymmetric homologation reaction, have been successfully utilized for a general asymmetric synthesis of pure enantiomers. The recent continued successes achieved in our three-pronged approach to asymmetric synthesis (1) asymmetric hydroboration, (2) asymmetric reduction, and (3) asymmetric allyland crotylborati...

Chiral pool α-amino acids have been used as powerful tools for the total synthesis of structurally diverse natural products. Some common naturally occurring α-amino acids are readily available in both enantiomerically pure forms. The applications of the chiral pool in asymmetric synthesis can be categorized prudently as chiral sources, devices, and inducers. This review specifically examines re...

Arylalkylamines are of interest as building blocks for the synthesis of biologically active compounds and as chiral ligands or chiral auxiliaries in stereoselective syntheses [1]. Their stereoselective synthesis has been achieved by enantioselective reduction of ketimines using chiral reagents [2], as for example Corey’s oxaborolidines [3], or proline-derived triacyloxyborohydrides [4]. Particu...

Asymmetric photochemical synthesis using circularly polarized (CP) light is theoretically attractive as a means of absolute asymmetric synthesis and postulated as an explanation for homochirality on Earth. Using an asymmetric photochemical synthesis of a dihydrohelicene as an example, we demonstrate the principle that two wavelengths of CP light can be used to control separate reactions. In doi...

Asymmetric photochemical synthesis using circularly polarized (CP) light is theoretically attractive as a means of absolute asymmetric synthesis and postulated as an explanation for homochirality on Earth. Using an asymmetric photochemical synthesis of a dihydrohelicene as an example, we demonstrate the principle that two wavelengths of CP light can be used to control separate reactions. In doi...

An efficient, asymmetric synthesis of the 5-HT2C agonist vabicaserin in four chemical steps and 54% overall yield from commercially available benzodiazepine was achieved. The synthesis was highlighted by a novel oxidative, multicomponent reaction to affect the quinolinium ring assembly in one step followed by an unprecedented asymmetric hydrogenation of a 3,4-substituted quinolinium salt.

The asymmetric synthesis of both enantiomers of piclavines A1, A2, A3, and A4 has been achieved using an iterative asymmetric dihydroxylation with enantiomeric enhancement.

A concise asymmetric synthesis of (+)-swainsonine (ent-1) is described starting from 2, which was readily prepared from commercially available l-glutamic acid. The method features installation of the indolizidine ring via an intramolecular cyclisation of α-sulfinyl carbanion as a key step. (+)-Swainsonine was obtained in 11.8% overall yield in 10 steps.

Background The use of chiral auxiliaries in the synthesis of enantiomerically pure compounds has found wide application for a variety of reactions over the last three decades. Despite the extensive developments in this area by many academic and industrial research groups, new auxiliary controlled reactions continue to evolve frequently [1]. First objectives in this area have been to develop chi...