Asymmetric Organocatalytic Epoxidations: Reactions, Scope, Mechanisms, and Applications

摘要

Chiral epoxides serve as versatile building blocks in the synthesis of complex organic frameworks. The high strain imposed by the three-member ed ring system makes epoxides prone to a variety of nucleo-philic ring-opening reactions. Since the development of the Sharpless epoxidation, there have been many important contributions and advances in this area. With the rapid development of the field of asymmetric organocatalysis, a wide range of organocatalysts is now able to catalyze the epoxidation of broad class of unsaturated carbonyl compounds. In this Minireview, recent progress in the development of organocatalytic asymmetric epoxidation methods, the proposed mechanisms of these reactions and their applications as intermediates is reported.