title: Ligand-assisted rate acceleration in transacylation by a yttrium-salen complex. Demonstration of a conceptually new strategy for metal-catalyzed kinetic resolution of alcohols.
abstract: [reaction: see text]. Yttrium-salen complexes effect transacylation between enolesters and chiral secondary alcohols, resulting in varying degrees of kinetic resolution. Even though the enantioselectivity remains modest (k(fast)/k(slow) up to 4.81), these results represent the first demonstration of a conceptually new metal-catalyzed acyl transfer process that results in kinetic resolution. On the basis of the solid-state structure of the catalyst, a novel associative mechanistic pathway is proposed for the reaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
authors.forename: Mei-Huey
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: T V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: RajanBabu