Cinchona Alkaloids in Asymmetric Organocatalysis

Abstract

This article reviews the applications of cinchona alkaloids as asymmetric catalysts. In the last few years, characterized by the resurgence of interest in asymmetric organocatalysis, cinchona derivatives have been shown to catalyze an outstanding array of chemical reactions, often with remarkable stereoselectivity. This work presents an overview of the transformations developed in the period from 2001 through 2009, highlighting applications in the synthesis of bioactive molecules and natural products.