Cyclopeptidic Phosphoric Acid Catalysts

In the art of organic chemistry, scientists are producing marvelous chemicals for the benefit of mankind in the form of medicines, electronics, and advanced technological materials. However, it is sometimes difficult to prepare these materials as pure substances, and many are produced in two forms that mirror each other; these are known as chiral compounds. The search for new tools to help prepare certain materials byjoining two carbon atoms so that only one chiral compound is produced constitutes one of the most important challenges in organic chemistry.

To meet this challenge, Prof. Doron Pappo, from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Prof. F. Dean Toste from the University of California Berkeley, and Prof. Matthew S. Sigman, from the University of Utah initiated a joint project aiming to develop chiral phosphoric acid based biaryl-bridged cyclopeptide catalysts for producing single chiral compounds from two simple reactants.