Yttrium-Salen Catalyst for the Enantioselective Opening of Epoxides

Significance

This account describes the more detailed investigation of nucleophilic opening of epoxides in the presence of chiral yttrium-salen complexes. This catalytic system shows improvements regarding the amounts necessary for efficient conversion compared to catalysts previously reported by Hoveyda and co-workers (Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. Engl. 1996, 35, 1668) and Jacobsen and co-workers (Org. Lett. 2000, 2, 1001). The main significance of this report is the development of a highly reactive catalytic system that circumvents side reactions usually associated with previous catalysts.