A Tetradentate Ligand for the Enantioselective Ti(IV)-Promoted Oxidation of Sulfides to Sulfoxides: Origin of Enantioselectivity

A detailed stereomechanistic analysis has led to the design of a new tetradentate ligand for the enantioselective Ti(IV)-catalyzed oxidation of unsymmetrical sulfides to sulfoxides with high selectivity. The pathway of this oxidation and the closely related and long-known Kagan-Modena oxidation have been clarified to identify the likely origin of the enantioselectivity.