HKBU chemists reported novel study in cascade asymmetric metal catalysis

Chiral 1,4-diamines have great potential for applications in medicinal chemistry and asymmetric catalysis. However, efficient and highly stereoselective reactions involving chiral 1,4-diamines remain a long-standing challenge. Zhou Jian (周健), PhD student from Dr. Jun Wang’s lab in collaboration with Dr. Chi Sing Lee’s lab, reported a copper-catalyzed asymmetric cascade hydroamination protocol to construct a wide range of chiral 1,4-diamine derivatives in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities. This breakthrough opens up possibilities in the synthesis of medicinal compounds that were thought to be technically challenging. This methodology was published in the prestigious Angewandte Chemie International Edition as a communication, and chosen as ‘HOT paper’ by the editors for their importance in a rapidly evolving field of high current interest.