Catalytic Asymmetric and Regioselective Epoxidation How Far Can Catalyst Recognize the Distance from Directing Group to Reactive Site?

Abstract

Catalytic asymmetric epoxidation is one of the most important methods to synthesize chiral building blocks. However, catalytic reactions directed by a remote functional group, several bonds distal to the reactive site of the substrates, are rare. Here, I review the asymmetric epoxidation of homo- or bishomoallylic alcohols by using metal-BHA ligand systems and regioselective epoxidation for polyene compounds by using peptide catalysts.