Catalytic Non-Enzymatic Kinetic Resolution

While tremendous advances have been made in asymmetric synthesis, the resolution of race-mates is still the most important industrial approach to the synthesis of chiral compounds. The use of enzymes for the kinetic resolution (KR) of racemic substrates to afford enantiopure compounds in high enantioselectivity and good yield has long been a popular strategy in synthesis. However, transition metal-mediated and more recently organocatalyzed KRs have gained popularity within the synthetic community over the last two decades due to the progress made in the development of chiral catalysts for asymmetric reactions. Many catalytic non-enzymatic procedures have been developed providing high enantioselectivity and yield for both products and recovered starting materials. Indeed, the non-enzymatic KR of racemic compounds based on the use of a chiral catalyst is presently an area of great importance in asymmetric organic synthesis. The goal of this review is to provide an update on the principal developments of catalytic non-enzymatic KR covering the literature since 2004. This review is subdivided into seven sections, according to the different types of compounds that have been resolved through catalytic non-enzymatic KR, such as alcohols, epoxides, amines, alkenes, carbonyl derivatives, sulfur compounds and ferrocenes.