Introduction

This book collects, for the first time, all of the developments focussing on organocatalysed dynamic kinetic resolutions, demonstrating the blooming of this special field that joins two powerful concepts, namely organocatalysis honoured by the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and dynamic kinetic resolution. The growing economic importance of chiral molecules, especially in medicine, has spurred major research efforts towards the selective preparation of enantiopure products. The resolution of racemates still constitutes the most employed methodology to prepare chiral products in industry in spite of the huge expansion of asymmetric synthesis and especially enantioselective catalysis. However, the principal drawback of a simple kinetic resolution is related to the limitation of the yield to 50%. Attempts to overcome this limitation have been undertaken, resulting in the discovery of dynamic kinetic resolution, which allows 100% yield through the combination of a resolution step of a kinetic resolution with an in situ racemisation of the chirally-labile substrate performed in the presence of a catalyst. Along with enzymes and metals, this catalyst can be a non-toxic, inexpensive, robust and often readily available chiral organocatalyst. The first examples of organocatalysed dynamic kinetic resolutions have been developed in the last two decades. This book presents in eight chapters dynamic kinetic resolutions organocatalysed by cinchona alkaloids, proline and other amino acid-derivatives, phosphoric acids, N-heterocyclic carbenes, thioureas, pyridine-based Lewis bases, tetramisoles, and miscellaneous organocatalysts.