Table of Contents
What is an Asymmetric Synthesis?
Asymmetric synthesis is the process of creating chiral molecules from simple, non-chiral molecules. This is accomplished by using a chiral catalyst, which is a molecule that can selectively promote the formation of one enantiomer over the other.
History of Asymmetric Synthesis
The history of asymmetric synthesis dates back to the early 1800s, when chemists first realized that some chemical reactions produced molecules with a specific handedness. In 1848, French chemist Jean-Baptiste Dumas coined the term “asymmetric synthesis” to describe the process of creating molecules with a specific handedness.
In the early years of asymmetric synthesis, chemists relied on a process called chiral induction to create asymmetric molecules. This process involved the use of a chiral catalyst, which is a molecule that can selectively catalyze the formation of one specifichandedness of a molecule.
In the late 1800s, German chemist Emil Fischer developed a process called asymmetric reduction, which involved the use of a chiral catalyst to selectively reduce one specifichandedness of a molecule. This process is still used today to create many of the drugs used to treat a variety of diseases.
In the early 1900s, Swiss chemist Werner Kuhn developed a process called asymmetric addition, which involved the use of a chiral catalyst to selectively add one specifichandedness of a molecule to a carbon-carbon double bond. This process is still used today to create many of the drugs used to treat a variety of diseases.
In the late 1900s, Japanese chemist Kenso Soai developed a process called asymmetric synthesis, which involved the use of a chiral catalyst to selectively create asymmetric molecules. This process is still used today to create
Principles of Asymmetric Synthesis
Asymmetric synthesis is the process of creating molecules that have a specific handedness, or chirality. This is done by inducing a chiral center in the molecule. A chiral center is a carbon atom that has four different groups attached to it. Two of these groups must be the same, and the other two can be different.
There are three main principles of asymmetric synthesis:
1) The use of a chiral auxiliary. A chiral auxiliary is a molecule that is used to induce a chiral center in another molecule. It does this by attaching to the carbon atom that is to be made into a chiral center.
2) The use of a chiral catalyst. A chiral catalyst is a molecule that is used to induce a chiral center in another molecule. It does this by attaching to the carbon atom that is to be made into a chiral center.
3) The use of a chiral ligand. A chiral ligand is a molecule that is used to induce a chiral center in another molecule. It does this by attaching to the atom that is to be made into a chiral center.
Quick Facts About Asymmetric Synthesis
Asymmetric synthesis is the process of creating molecules that have a specific handedness or chirality. This is done by using a chiral catalyst to create a stereocenter. The most common type of asymmetric synthesis is the Heck reaction.
