Catalytic Asymmetric C-C Bond Formation: New Enolato- and Organolithium Chemistry

摘要

Organolithium reagents are a cornerstone of the development and practice of modern organic chemistry. The pivotal role of these reagents reflects their early introduction in undeergraduate chemistry courses. Although the enormous interest in catalyticasymmetric C-C bond formation has provided a number of practical solutions in other areas, highly enantioselective, catalytic reactions of organolithium reagents generally remain elusive. The complex solution equilibria, so characteristic of lithioanions, continually frustrate attempts to discover viable catalytic processes. Two recent pieces of work have made valuable advances towards this goal.