Application of chiral sulfoxides in asymmetric synthesis

Abstract

Chiral sulfoxides are used as a toolbox for the synthesis of enantiomeric/diastereomeric compounds, which are used as precursors for the pharmaceutically/chemically important molecules. The current review focuses on applying these chiral sulfoxides towards the synthesis of the compounds having stereogenic center. In general, the stereogenic center induced by the sulfoxide is able to direct the stereochemistry of further transformation necessary to complete the total synthesis of bioactive molecules. The nature of the reactive conformation of the sulfoxide is strongly dependent on the nature of the substituents at C-α and/or C-β.

General Method for the Asymmetric Synthesis of N–H Sulfoximines via C–S Bond Formation

“…Consequently, many methodologies require enantiopure sulfur(IV) derivatives as substrates, such as sulfoxides. These are most commonly obtained in their nonracemic form using a chiral templating strategy 28 such as the classical procedure developed by Anderson that utilizes menthol-derived sulfinic esters. 29,30 For the above reasons, alternative methods for sulfoximine synthesis are in high demand.…”