HOMOGENEOUS CATALYSIS AS A TOOL FOR ORGANIC-SYNTHESIS

Homochiral trialkanolamines are a new class of chiral ligand for enant ioselective catalysis. Mononuclear titanium complexes bearing such lig ands promote the asymmetric sulfoxidation of alkyl aryl sulfides. In c ontrast, a dimeric zirconium species is the active catalyst in the des ymmetrization of meso epoxides with azides. Mechanistic insight into t he latter reaction has led to a new reaction, the enantioselective des ymmetrization of meso epoxides using halides as the nucleophilic partn er.