Copper-Catalyzed Asymmetric Synthesis

This book provides exhaustive and timely information about the use of copper compounds as catalysts in asymmetric synthesis. The introductory chapter reflects the importance of bimetallic chiral copper-containing compounds, the so called cuprates, especially in two synthetically useful reactions: the conjugate addition and the allylic substitution, both in an asymmetric fashion. In Chapter 1, the use of mixed cuprates containing organometallic reagents derived from lithium, magnesium, zinc, boron, aluminium, silicon or tin, in combination with a chiral ligand in asymmetric synthesis, is considered. Next Chapter 3 is devoted to the asymmetric conjugate addition and allylic substitution starting from more extended multiple-bond systems, such as polyconjugated Michel acceptors or allyl derivatives. Asymmetric allylic alkylation is the subject of Chapter 4, in which different carbon-nucleophiles and functionalized substrates are studied, together with asymmetric processes such as desymmetrization of meso-allylic substrates or kinetic resolution processes, as well as direct enantioconvergent transformations. Chapter 5 shows the copper-catalyzed asymmetric ring opening of substituted epoxides with amines, or the same process using an organometallic reagent with epoxides, aziridines or heterobicyclic systems. The formation of carbon-boron or carbon-silicon bonds mainly when a new sterocenter is involved in the process is the topic included in Chapter 6. The following Chapter 7 studied the use of copper hydride in asymmetric reductions, including conjugate reductions, 1,2-additions and some heterogeneous catalytic processes. The asymmetric cyclopropanation and azirinidation of olefins is the subject of Chapter 8. In Chapter 9 the copper-catalyzed asymmetric alkylation, allylation, arylation and alkynylation of imines, as well as the use of copper as a Lewis acid catalyst in asymmetric reactions with imines is considered. The carbometallation of cyclopropenes and alkynes are treated in Chapter 10. Chiral copper Lewis acids is the topic considered in Chapter 11, which includes cycloadditions, Claisen rearrangements, ene reactions, nucleophilic addition to carbonyl compounds and imines, conjugate additions,