Enantioselective Organocatalytic Transfer Hydrogenation

Molecular H or an hydride donor, in conjunction with a chiral metal catalyst system, is the usual strategy for asymmetric catalysis. in nature, however, C-H stereogenic centers are not created this way but by biochemical processes controlled by enzymes (NADH type) and hydride reduction cofactors. This review discusses the advent of a transfer hydrogenation alternative in which small molecule oranocatalysts are used instead of enzymes/cofactor or metall/ligand systems. They call it EOTH (Enantioselective Organocatalytic Transfer Hydrogenation) and it seems to be very promising in some cases. Acc.Chem.Res., 2007, 40, 1327