Catalyst control over x-fold stereogenicity
Catalytic, stereoselective methodologies to study the control over the configuration of stereogenic elements with three- four-, five- and six-fold stereoisomerism are proposed. Previous catalyst-stereocontrolled methods allowed the differentiation of a twofold number of stereoisomers for any given stereogenic element. It is thus anticipated that expanding the stereogenicity in stereoselective catalysis represents a significant advance for the field. The reunification of conformational analysis and stereoisomerism in organic synthesis is expected to provide an improved conceptual framework. Traditionally, stereogenic elements are considered to generate a doubled number of possible stereoisomers, which are assigned with standard stereochemical descriptors such as R and S. The overall number of possible stereoisomers in a molecule with a set of stereogenic elements (n) is thus commonly predicted as 2^n. This binary stereochemical understanding of stereoisomerism represents a current basis for organic synthesis and a wide range of bioactive compounds critical for our health care are skillfully prepared by controlling the configuration of desired stereoisomers. Control over stereogenic elements that generate more than a twofold number of possible stereoisomers thus dramatically extents the scope of current stereoselective catalysis and organic synthesis. 1: The underpinnings of conformational analysis and the catalyst-stereocontrolled synthesis will be conceptually unequivocally reunited. 2: The uncharted setting of catalyst control over three-, four-, five- and six-fold stereogenicity will be established by the development of versatile synthetic methodologies. 3: Novel molecular architectures featuring unique chemical topologies will be assessible, representing unexplored chemical designs for a broad range of applications.  4: A divergent catalysis approach will be explored, utilizing common substrates for several stereoisomeric products with extended stereogenicity.