Memory of Chirality: Asymmetric Induction Based on the Dynamic Chirality of Enolates

In this chapter we show that the chirality of a ketone and some α-amino acid esters can be preserved in their enolate forms, and asymmetric synthesis is possible via the strategy shown later in the chapter. In these reactions the chirality of the starting material appears to be memorized in the enolate intermediates, so we call this type of asymmetric transformation “memory of chirality.” The design, development, and rationale of the memory of chirality are described.