Recent progress in catalytic asymmetric synthesis of triarylmethanes

Chiral triarylmethanes, with their unique three-dimensional spatial configuration, tunable electronic properties, and excellent functional group compatibility, have wide applications in fields such as the dye industry, materials science, and medicinal chemistry. Their catalytic asymmetric synthesis has become a research hotspot in the field of organic synthesis. This review provides a systematic summary of the research progress in the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of chiral triarylmethanes over the past two decades. The advancements are categorized into eight core strategies based on types of reaction and substrate, offering a comprehensive discussion on the evolution of synthetic methodologies for chiral triarylmethanes. Achievements for each strategy are elaborated on, with an elaboration focused particularly on the enantioselectivity, yield advantages, and potential for scale-up applications of reactions. The key features, catalytic systems, stereocontrol mechanisms, and synthetic merits of each strategy are highlighted and compared. The current challenges in this field are summarized, and the future development directions are prospected, providing a comprehensive reference for the development of new synthetic methods for chiral triarylmethanes and the design of function-oriented molecules.