Recent Advances in the Asymmetric Catalytic Synthesis of Phosphonates with an α-Chiral Center

Abstract

Phosphonates and derivatives with α-chiral center are of great importance, and have been widely distributed in many natural products, pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals with various bioactive features. In the past decades, great effort has been made toward the development of efficient synthetic methods. In this Minireview, recent advances in asymmetric catalytic synthesis of phosphonates with α-chiral center are summarized, including asymmetric hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated phosphonates, asymmetric addition of phosphonates to unsaturated electrophiles, and asymmetric addition of nucleophiles to α,β-unsaturated phosphonates. In addition, continuous development of enantioselective catalytic synthetic methods and the application of phosphonates and derivatives with α-chiral center is prospected in the future.