The hydrolytic kinetic resolution of terminal epoxides catalyzed by the
monometallic chiral salen Co complex follows the cooperative bimetallic mechanism
and second order kinetic dependency on the catalyst. In this mechanism, one metal
works as an active Lewis acid center for preferential activation of one enantiomer from
a racemic substrate and the second metal center stimulates the incoming nucleophile.
Mechanistically, rational design and development of bi- and multimetallic chiral
complex centers within the sterically, electronically, and co-ordinatively accessible
framework of chiral salen ligand provides improved activity and enantioselectivity
relative to their corresponding monometallic catalysts. This chapter provides a survey
of bimetallic chiral salen Co complexes used in the hydrolytic kinetic resolution of
terminal epoxides to procure valuable chiral intermediates, useful for academic interest
and in industrial applications.
Keywords: Asymmetric catalysis, Chiral salen Co complex, Kinetic resolutions,
Terminal epoxides.
