Substrate Directed Asymmetric Reactions

Historically, reagent controlled reactions (mechanism controlled reactions) have played a significant role in the asymmetric synthesis of complex structures. In contrast, today's asymmetric synthesis is greatly dependent on substrate directed approaches. In this approach, a polar functional group, namely, a "directing group", in the vicinity of the reactive site inside the substrate has been documented to preassociate with the chiral catalyst, which exerts stereodirecting influence by directing the reacting partner toward one of the enantiotopic faces of the reaction center. Those reactions usually proceed through exceptionally ordered transition states and result in extraordinary levels of stereoselection. Within the last four decades, the substrate directed approach has become an indispensible tool for the preparation of complex chiral frameworks starting directly from relatively simple achiral substrate molecules via asymmetric induction or various resolution techniques or both. Likewise, the substrate directed approach has been applied to functionalize enantiopure substrates bearing pre-exisiting stereocenters into complex structures as a single diastereomer. A classical example is Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation of allylic alcohols in which the free hydroxy function acts as an active anchor to a dimeric Ti-catalyst that controls the stereochemical outcome of the epoxidation process by transferring the oxidant enantioselectively. The principal aim of the present review is to give a general overview of substrate directed asymmetric transformations, a topic that has not yet been documented in the form of a concise review of recently developed approaches. Due to the large number of related applications, only recent advances that have been documented within the last two decades have been reviewed. Furthermore, in the current review, we have mainly highlighted asymmetric reactions that are controlled by abundant and frequently used directing groups such as hydroxy, amide, and sulfonamide groups. In addition, selected examples of a few important substrate-directed chemo-, regio-, and diastereoselective reactions have also been included in this review.