Highly efficient chiral polydentate sulfinyl ligands/catalysts containing prolinol moiety

Recent advances and prospects in the Zn-catalysed Mannich reaction

Zn-catalysed reactions are ubiquitously important due to their inexpensive, generally less toxic and atom-economic nature. According to the modern criteria of sustainability, their use in a catalytic manner is a highly desirable goal, especially when using chiral ligands. Considering the relevance of well-established zinc-mediated C-C bond formation reactions, it is relatively surprising that the use of Zn as a catalyst is still underdeveloped, especially in comparison with other transition metals. The vast majority of natural molecules, including proteins, nucleic acids and most biologically active compounds, contain nitrogen. Consequently, developing new synthetic methods for the construction of nitrogenous molecules receives great attention from organic chemists. The Mannich reaction is a very basic and very useful platform for the development of several such nitrogen-containing molecules. In this review, we summarise the recent advancements in the Zn-catalysed Mannich reaction, covering the literature from 2011 to 2020.

Chiral Organosulfur Ligands/Catalysts with a Stereogenic Sulfur Atom: Applications in Asymmetric Synthesis

Asymmetric synthesis, in which chiral organocatalysts or metal complexes with chiral ligands are used, has become the most valuable methodology for the preparation of enantiomerically pure organic compounds. Among such catalysts/ligands, a growing number constitute various organosulfur compounds. This Review provides comprehensive and critical information on the plethora of sulfur-based chiral ligands and organocatalysts used in asymmetric synthesis, which have been published within the last 15 years. However, it is confined to the presentation of only those chiral catalysts/ligands that possess a stereogenic sulfur atom and includes sulfoxides, sulfinamides, N-sulfinyl ureas, sulfoximines, and some related S-chiral derivatives.