Direct Asymmetric Addition of Heteroatom Nucleophiles to Imines

The direct asymmetric addition of heteroatom nucleophiles to imines represents one of the most efficient tools for the formation of carbon-heteroatom bonds and has received much interest recently. The review is devoted to the asymmetric addition reactions of non-carbon nucleophiles to imines. The present review is divided into five main sections: reactions with N-nucleophiles; reactions with P-nucleophiles; reactions with O-nucleophiles; reactions with S-nucleophiles; reactions with Se-nucleophiles. It has been seen that chiral catalysts such as quinines, BINOLs, chiral phosphoric acids as well as various Bronsted and Lewis acids are the source of asymmetry of the presented reactions of asymmetric addition of non-carbon nucleophiles to imines.

Automated summary

This review focuses on the asymmetric addition reactions of non-carbon nucleophiles to imines. Chiral catalysts are used to achieve control over the stereochemistry of the addition reactions.