Catalytic enantioselective synthesis of axially chiral allenes

The conventional procedures for preparing optically active axially chiral allenes generally require stoichiometric chiral sources as either substrates or reagents. On the other hand, examples of catalytic asymmetric synthesis of axially chiral allenes are rare and it is a relatively underdeveloped area in synthetic organic chemistry. In this review article, various methods for preparing enantiomerically enriched axially chiral allenes using substoichiometric chiral sources are surveyed. Some reactions with stoichiometric but recoverable chiral sources are also mentioned. Most of the asymmetric reactions in these categories are transition-metal-catalyzed reactions, and there are a few examples of organocatalytic reactions. In addition, some enzymatic/microbial systems are also known. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.