December 12, 2008

A bisoxazolidine catalyst invention created in the laboratory of Prof. Christian Wolf (1'R,2'R,3aS,3"aS,8aR,8"aR)-(+)-3,3".3a,3"a,8,8",8a,8"a-Octahydrodispiro{2H-indeno[1,2-d]oxazole-2,1'-cyclohexane-2',2"-[2H]indeno[1,2-d]oxazole}) will become commercially available at Strem (Strem catalog number 07-0488). Though the process of reaching an agreement between Strem and Georgetown University was long, it came together and Wolf’s chiral catalyst will be available for research purposes. The aminoindanol-derived bisoxazolidine has been successfully used in several asymmetric carbon-carbon bond forming reactions. For example, the catalyst allows the synthesis of propargylic alcohols and nitroaldol products in excellent yields and enantiomeric excess.