The Kinetic Resolution of Chiral alpha-Olefins with Optically Active Ansa-Zirconocene Polymerization Catalysts

加州理工学院的John E.Bercaw教授的这项研究得到了无机化学、生物无机化学和有机金属化学计划的支持，其目的是开发新型的、高活性的对映体预催化剂，以提高手性α-烯烃的选择性和底物通用性。由于光学活性催化剂在聚合α-烯烃方面具有极高的活性，因此在实现动力学拆分，优先聚合手性烯烃的一个对映体，而不是反应活性较低的对映体方面具有很好的前景。这不仅拆分了这两个对映体，还导致了一类新的光学活性聚合物。新的催化剂将被开发来拆分右旋和左旋分子，这是合成药物等手性分子所必需的。通过使用聚合催化剂，一种“手”分子被结合到一种新型的“手”聚合物中。

The objective of this research by Professor John E. Bercaw at the California Institute of Technology, which is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Oganometallic Chemistry Program, is to develop new, highly reactive enantiopure precatalysts that show improved selectivity and substrate generality for chiral alpha-olefins. Due to their extreme activities in polymerizing alpha-olefins, optically active ansa-zirconocene polymerization catalysts are excellent prospects for effecting kinetic resolutions, preferentially polymerizing one enantiomer of a chiral olefin and leaving behind the less reactive enantiomer. This not only resolves the two enantiomers, but also leads to a new class of optically active polymers.New catalysts will be developed to resolve right- and left handed molecules, which is essential for synthesizing chiral molecules such as pharmaceuticals. By using a polymerization catalyst, one type of "handed" molecule is incorporated into a new type of "handed" polymer.