Asymmetric Organocatalysis

Dear Colleagues,

Evidently, enantiomers of bioactive compounds often have very different and, even opposite pharmacologic effects. Hitherto, many successful strategies were invented by chemists in order to obtain enantiomerically pure drugs and/or their intermediates.

Asymmetric organocatalysis, which is a powerful and environmentally friendly new methodology, facilitates strategies that provide an alternative to the conventional processes, which use transition-metal-complexes.

In many cases, the effectiveness of organocatalysts relies on covalent bonding: e.g. enamine/iminium ion activation by Lewis basic secondary or primary amines, or on the hydrogen bonding interactions: e.g. non-covalent catalysis with ureas and thioureas, diols, etc. Over the past years, a remarkable number of new enantioselective reactions subject to Brønsted- or Lewis-acid catalysis have been identified. Specifically, research has been focused on bi- and multi-functional catalysts containing Lewis or Brønsted basic moieties in combination with additional Lewis/Brønsted acidic functionality or hydrogen bond donors.Another fascinating organocatalytic system uses chiral phase-transfer catalysts (PTC).

Contributions are invited on all types of asymmetric organocatalysis and include:

• covalent and non-covalent organocatalysis,
• Lewis- or Brønsted-base organocatalysis,
• Brønsted- or Lewis-acid organocatalysis,
• asymmetric PTC,
• bi- and multi-functional organocatalysis.

Prof. Dr. Svetlana Tsogoeva
Guest Editor