Hydrolysis of Phosphonothioates with a Binaphthyl Group: P-Stereogenic O-Binaphthyl Phosphonothioic Acids and Their Use as Optically Active Ligands and Chiral Discriminating Agents

The hydrolysis of phosphonothioates with a binaphthyl group afforded the first example of O-(2'-hydroxy)binaphthyl phosphonothioic acids in good to high yields and >95:5 diastereoselectivity. The reaction proceeds via an axis-to-center chirality-transfer reaction. The ability of these acids to act as chiral molecular auxiliaries was demonstrated by using them as optically active ligands for the asymmetric ethylation of benzaldehyde and as a chiral discriminating agent for chiral aliphatic amines.

Computational characterization of the mechanism for the light-driven catalytic trichloromethylation of acylpyridines

DFT and DFT/MM calculations are applied to a photocatalytic enantioselective reaction and shown to be able to characterize the mechanism.