Recent advances in chiral aluminum asymmetric catalysis: ligand design, coordination modulation, and structure–activity relationships
Abstract
The development of sustainable strategies for asymmetric catalysis remains a central goal in modern synthetic chemistry. Chiral aluminum catalysts, derived from earth-abundant and low-toxicity main-group elements, are emerging as powerful alternatives to precious transition-metal systems. This review systematically surveys two decades of progress in chiral aluminum asymmetric catalysis, with a central focus on the fundamental correlation between rational ligand design, coordination environment tuning at aluminum centers, and the resulting structure–activity/selectivity relationships. We highlight how modular ligand engineering including 1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diol (BINOL), salen, and N-heterocyclic scaffolds enables precise control over aluminum’s coordination geometry, Lewis acidity, and chiral microenvironment, delivering high enantio- and regiocontrol across diverse reactions from cycloadditions and asymmetric reductions to C–H functionalization and stereoselective polymerization. Beyond their cost and environmental advantages, these systems showcase unique stereocontrol mechanisms arising from metal-centered chirality and cooperative catalysis. Challenges remain in expanding substrate scope and improving recyclability, but continued innovation promises to establish aluminum catalysis as a frontier platform for the sustainable synthesis of pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, and functional materials.
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BibTeX
@article{wen2026recent,
title = {{Recent advances in chiral aluminum asymmetric catalysis: ligand design, coordination modulation, and structure–activity relationships}},
author = {Tianzhe Wen and Xiaoli Ma and Ziyuan Pang and Xiaobo Yang and Zhi Yang},
journal = {Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3762/bjoc.22.130},
url = {https://www.beilstein-journals.org/bjoc/articles/22/130},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Recent advances in chiral aluminum asymmetric catalysis: ligand design, coordination modulation, and structure–activity relationships
AU - Tianzhe Wen
AU - Xiaoli Ma
AU - Ziyuan Pang
AU - Xiaobo Yang
AU - Zhi Yang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/09
JO - Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry
DO - 10.3762/bjoc.22.130
UR - https://www.beilstein-journals.org/bjoc/articles/22/130
AB - The development of sustainable strategies for asymmetric catalysis remains a central goal in modern synthetic chemistry. Chiral aluminum catalysts, derived from earth-abundant and low-toxicity main-group elements, are emerging as powerful alternatives to precious transition-metal systems. This review systematically surveys two decades of progress in chiral aluminum asymmetric catalysis, with a central focus on the fundamental correlation between rational ligand design, coordination environment tuning at aluminum centers, and the resulting structure–activity/selectivity relationships. We highlight how modular ligand engineering including 1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diol (BINOL), salen, and N-heterocyclic scaffolds enables precise control over aluminum’s coordination geometry, Lewis acidity, and chiral microenvironment, delivering high enantio- and regiocontrol across diverse reactions from cycloadditions and asymmetric reductions to C–H functionalization and stereoselective polymerization. Beyond their cost and environmental advantages, these systems showcase unique stereocontrol mechanisms arising from metal-centered chirality and cooperative catalysis. Challenges remain in expanding substrate scope and improving recyclability, but continued innovation promises to establish aluminum catalysis as a frontier platform for the sustainable synthesis of pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, and functional materials.
SN - 1860-5397
ER -