Recent Advances in Asymmetric Catalysis and Natural Product Synthesis

Asymmetric catalysis, one approach for the preparation of enantiomerically pure compounds and the focus of research in both academic and industrial laboratories, is an attractive technology as a small amount of enantiomerically pure material can produce large quantities of enantiomerically enriched or enantiopure material. Research in asymmetric catalysis to date highlights the difficulty in finding a ‘universal’ ligand suitable for a wide spectrum of reactions and substrates. For this reason the preparation and testing of new ligands for asymmetric catalysis is an active research field. In addition, the development of catalytic asymmetric methodology forms the basis of a large proportion of our research endeavours.

This presentation will describe:

a) An update on advances in the asymmetric Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi reaction.

b) The design, synthesis of new P,N ligands of type 1-2, along with N,O ligands of type 3, which exploit the gem-dimethyl effect, and their application in the asymmetric catalysis.

 c) The development of a catalytic asymmetric synthesis of a-aryl ketones and a-aryl-a-allyl ketones, with some examples from natural product chemistry.