Asymmetric catalysts are synthetic analogues of enzymes and, like enzymes, small amounts are capable of generating large quantities of products with specific stereochemistry. Because of this, they are the most efficient way of generating enantiomerically pure materials which are required for the production of biologically active molecules. This project is directed at efficient asymmetric catalysis for the production of chiral cis-1,3-diols, 3-substituted cyclopentanones and the reduction of prochiral olefins. All of the products are useful and sometimes key starting materials for the production of biologically active materials. The project has the twofold goal of achieving high enantiomeric excesses and of understanding the mechanisms of catalysis in order to develop a rational basis for design. Ultimately, we expect that the current approaches which involve intuition and luck will be supplanted by a more rigorous scientific approach. The present proposal attempts to contribute to this long term goal.
