CHEM40310

The module aims to give students an advanced course on an area of synthetic organic chemistry of current importance, namely asymmetric synthesis. The key learningobjectives of this module are:a) To understand the need for asymmetric synthesis and a comparison of the currentlyused approaches,(b) To be able to apply selected chiral reagents, chiral auxiliaries and chiral catalystsin the asymmetric synthesis of organic compounds,(c) To understand the three-dimensional transition states in each of the aboveapproaches and thus understand why a particular stereoisomer is formed.(d) To be able to apply this methodology as key steps in the total synthesis ofmolecules of biological interest.The type of asymmetric transformations which will be discussed include C-H, C-Cand C-O bond formations. The application of transition metal complexes and organocatalysis to these transformations will be a particular emphasis.