Rational design of pseudo-enantiomeric libraries of ligands based on pyranoses for application in asymmetric catalysis

•Pyranoses are useful building blocks for chiral ligands.•Pseudo-enantiomeric ligands can be designed by suitable functionalization of common pyranoses.•Pseudo-enantiomeric ligands promotes formation of enantiomeric products.

This review deals with the solution given by synthetic chemists to overcome the problem of access to both enantiomers of a given process when carbohydrates are used as ligands. Indeed, although sugars are stereochemically rich compounds, and derived from one of the most abundant renewable material, their use in asymmetric catalysis has been limited by the fact that most of them have D-configuration.This review explains the concept of pseudo-enantiomeric ligands, and collects examples based on pyranoses, by describing their relevant use in asymmetric catalysis.

Graphical abstractThis review deals with the solution given by synthetic chemists to overcome the problem of access to both enantiomers of a given process when carbohydrates are used as ligands. It explains the concept of pseudo-enantiomeric ligands, and collects examples based on pyranoses, by describing their relevant use in asymmetric catalysis.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide