Weak interactions are crucial for better enantioselections

Abstract

In this issue of Chem Catalysis, Schomaker, Liu, and co-workers describe an enantioselective intramolecular silver-catalyzed nitrene transfer (NT) that forms chiral six-membered rings via C–H amidation. They use density functional theory (DFT) calculations to model initial experimental data, which provide crucial insights into the relevance of non-covalent interactions in enantioselection. These findings guide the design of novel ligands that enhance enantiomeric excess in the asymmetric amidation of diverse C–H bonds.