Industrial Relevance of Asymmetric Organocatalysis in the Preparation of Chiral Amine Derivatives

This chapter covers the emerging utilization of organocatalytic methodologies in industrial settings directed at the large-scale preparation of enantioenriched amines and N-heterocycles. First, some selected manufacturing processes, based on organocatalytic stereodetermining steps, are commented concisely. Despite the generally high catalyst loadings required, these examples show that the relatively low cost of organic catalysts makes the development of cost-effective industrial routes possible. Then, three case studies (pregabalin, the bicyclic core of telaprevir, and 5-(trifluoromethyl)-2-isoxazolines) are discussed. These chiral targets have been approached through a variety of enantioselective strategies, among which the organocatalytic ones stand out for their versatility and potential for scale-up. Recent applications of organocatalysis in industrial settings are not restricted to a single activation mode or a class of catalysts. They encompass the whole catalyst and reaction repertoire typical of this relatively novel catalytic approach to asymmetric synthesis. Asymmetric organocatalysis proves to be, therefore, a useful and versatile synthetic tool for the industrial preparation of chiral compounds.