Stereoselective synthesis

The most complex natural products is chiral, different biological activity of the enantiomer of the chiral molecules. The traditional full synthesis of the targeted racemic mixture, i.e., the two as an equal mixture of enantiomers possible. By chiral separation of racemic mixture, may be separated.
Began in the latter half of the twentieth century, chemists developed accordingly reaction can produce a racemic mixture, instead of only one method of stereoselective catalytic kinetic resolution of enantiomers. The Early Examples include: (K. Barry Sharpless) Sharpless epoxidation and stereo-selective hydrogenation (William · S · Knowles and Ryoji Noyori Ryoji). For their achievement, these workers to share the 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Wider choice of this reaction, previously only natural materials can be used to enantiomerically pure molecular chemist. By Robert · B · Woodward and the new development of the synthetic method, pioneered the use of technology, chemists were able to become more simple molecules, more complex molecules, rather than take the unpopular racemization By understanding the three-dimensional control. This makes the end of the target molecule to be synthesized as a pure enantiomer, without any necessary resolution. Such techniques are referred to as "stereoselective synthesis.