Stereoselective coupling of ketone and carboxylate enolates

This review summarizes the background and the state of the art of the coupling of the enolates of ketones and carboxylic acid derivatives, focusing on the stereoselectivity of the process. Compared with other synthetic applications of enolates, the stereoselective coupling of these species has been considered less in the literature. Recent developments making use of chiral auxiliaries have put forward the versatility of this procedure for the asymmetric synthesis of 1,4-dicarbonyl compounds.