Catalytic Asymmetric Acyl-transfer Mediated by Chiral Pyridine Derivatives

Efficient small-molecule organocatalysis of asymmetric acyl-transfer reactions is a young field only a decade old. This highlight article reviews successes in this area with a focus on readily prepared aminopyridine-derived chiral catalysts for the kinetic resolution of sec-alcohols and a range of other synthetically useful transformations.