ASYMMETRIC-SYNTHESIS MEDIATED BY CHIRAL LIGANDS

Chiral chelated lithium amides were designed and synthesized. Studies have been done to explore the use of these lithium amides or their corresponding amines for enantioselective reactions such as deprotonation of prochiral cyclic ketones, kinetic resolution of racemic 2-substituted cyclohexanones by deprotonation, regioselective deprotonation of optically active 3-keto steroids, alkylation of achiral ketones, and deracemization of chiral ketones by protonation. Approaches to catalytic asymmetric deprotonation and alkylation are also attempted.