Recent advances in the metal-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of chiral allenes

Abstract

Chiral allenes, which exist widely in natural products, bioactive pharmaceuticals, and advanced functional materials, have received considerable attention from chemists. They are also identified as versatile building blocks for numerous transformations. In the past decade, numerous efficient approaches for the synthesis of chiral allenes have been developed, benefiting from the rapid development of asymmetric metal catalysis. This review summarizes recent advances in the metal-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of chiral allenes by highlighting some outstanding challenges and confirming potential areas of improvement, which may offer inspiration for future studies.