Enantioselective Radical Reactions Using Chiral Catalysts

Area of Science:

• Organic Chemistry
• Catalysis
• Photochemistry

Background:

• Significant progress in fundamental knowledge has driven innovation in enantioselective radical reactions.
• The last two decades have witnessed a surge in new catalytic methods for these transformations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive survey of progress in enantioselective radical reactions over the past 20 years.
• To detail reaction mechanisms for nonspecialists to foster new applications.

Main Methods:

• Review of chiral organocatalysts (covalent and non-covalent interactions).
• Survey of transition-metal redox catalysis (first-row metals Ti-Cu, Ru, Rh, Ir).
• Exploration of photocatalysis, organocatalysis-photocatalysis mergers, and enzyme-catalyzed radical reactions.

Main Results:

• Organocatalysts, including those linked covalently or via weaker interactions, are effective.
• Transition-metal catalysis offers diverse routes, with specific focus on bioinspired and metal-chiral complexes.
• Photocatalysis, combined with organo- or metallo-catalysis, expands radical precursor availability and enables novel transformations.

Conclusions:

• The field of enantioselective radical reactions has rapidly advanced through diverse catalytic strategies.
• Understanding mechanisms is key to unlocking new synthetic possibilities and applications.