Asymmetric organocatalysis
Organocatálisis asimétrica
- Date
- 2000 · confidence high
- Place
- Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla (List); Caltech, Pasadena (MacMillan)
- Credited to
- Benjamin List and David MacMillan (independently)
- People
- 👤 Benjamin List1968–👤 David MacMillan1968–
- Field
- Matter & energy
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What was discovered
Small chiral organic molecules (proline, imidazolidinones) catalyse enantioselective reactions without metals, cheaply and in an environmentally friendly way. The third pillar of catalysis alongside metals and enzymes.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021; simultaneous publications in 2000.
What it led to
- Green pharmaceutical synthesis
- Cascade catalysis
- Organic photoredox catalysis
Built on
- Asymmetric catalysis (Knowles, Noyori, Sharpless)1968-1980
- Hajos-Parrish-Eder-Sauer-Wiechert reaction (1971)
- Noyori and Sharpless asymmetric catalysis
Made possible
- heavy-metal-free industrial processes