Synthesis of chiral intermediates catalyzed by new chiral polymeric (salen) cobalt complexes bearing lewis acidic metal halides

The new type of heterometallic chiral polymer salen complexes have been synthesized and it has been found that group 13 metal salts (AlCl3, GaCl3 and InCl3) combined to cobalt salen unit played the crucial role in the asymmetric kinetic resolution of racemic epoxides. Polymeric salen catalysts showed very high reactivity and enantioselectivity for the asymmetric ring opening of terminal epoxide with diverse nucleophiles. They provide the enantiopure useful chiral intermediates such as chiral terminal epoxides and α-aryloxy alcohols in one-step process. An efficient methodology for providing very high enantioselectivity can be achieved in the synthesis of valuable chiral building blocks via our catalytic system by combination of various asymmetric ring opening reactions.