A copper and chiral nitroxide co-catalyzed aerobic enantioselective
oxidation process has been developed that allows access to axially
chiral molecules. Two complementary atroposelective approaches, oxidative
kinetic resolution (OKR) and desymmetrization, were studied using
ambient air as the stoichiometric terminal oxidant. OKR ofrac-N-arylpyrrole alcohols andrac-biaryl alcohols affords the optically pure compounds
witherup to 3.5:96.5 and 5.5:94.5, respectively.
Desymmetrization of prochiral diols provides axially chiral biaryl
compounds witherup to 99:1.