Recent Advances in Selected Asymmetric Reactions Promoted by Chiral Catalysts: Cyclopropanations, Friedel–Crafts, Mannich, Michael and Other Zinc-Mediated Processes—An Update

Abstract

The main purpose of this review article is to present selected asymmetric synthesis reactions in which chemical and stereochemical outcomes are dependent on the use of an appropriate chiral catalyst. Optically pure or enantiomerically enriched products of such transformations may find further applications in various fields. Among an extremely wide variety of asymmetric reactions catalyzed by chiral systems, we are interested in: asymmetric cyclopropanation, Friedel–Crafts reaction, Mannich and Michael reaction, and other stereoselective processes conducted in the presence of zinc ions. This paper describes the achievements of the above-mentioned asymmetric transformations in the last three years. The choice of reactions is related to the research that has been carried out in our laboratory for many years.

Advances in Catalytic Asymmetric Construction of Quaternary Stereogenic Centers by Conjugate Addition to β,β‐Disubstituted Nitroalkenes

“…The research groups of Wu, [61] Rachwalski, [62] and Ullah [63] have reviewed the construction of quaternary stereocenters from β‐nitroacrylate and β‐nitro indole derivatives. However, to the best of our knowledge, the related reactions of β,β‐disubstituted nitroalkenes have not been systematically summarized.…”