Chiral alkaline-earth metal catalysts for asymmetric bond-forming reactions

Recent developments in chiral alkaline-earth metal catalysts are summarized. Alkaline-earth metals are very attractive metal species because they are ubiquitous elements in nature, and form less harmful compounds compared with heavy transition metals. Several types of chiral ligands have been successfully employed for chiral modification of alkaline-earth metal catalysts, and high stereoselectivities have been achieved in asymmetric carbon-carbon bond forming reactions. These remarkable results indicate that chiral alkaline-earth metal catalysts show promise as useful tools in stereoselective synthesis.