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The intriguing structure of tagetitoxin (1), a long-standing challenge in natural product synthesis, has been the subject of multiple revisions and has been confirmed through total synthesis. The route commences from a renewable furan starting material and features a number of unusual transformations (such as rearrangements, bromocyclization, and P(V)-based phosphate installation) to arrive at the target in 15 steps. As the route was designed to enable access to both enantiomers, the absolute configuration of the natural product could be assigned using a bioassay on (+)-1 and (-)-1.

Vinyl triazenes were obtained by enantioselective [2+2] cycloaddition reactions of bicyclic alkenes with 1-alkynyl triazenes in the presence of a RuII catalyst with a chiral cyclopentadienyl ligand. These triazenes serve as unique vinyl cation surrogates. Under acidic conditions, the triazene functionality can be replaced with a variety of groups, including halides, alkoxides, sulfoxides, amides, arenes, and heteroarenes, thus providing efficient access to a pool of chiral polycyclic compounds.

The cyclopentadienyl (Cp) group is a ligand of great importance for many transition-metal complexes used in catalysis. Cationic CpRu(II) complexes with three free coordination sites are highly versatile catalysts for many atom-economic transformations. We report the synthesis of a family of Cp(x)Ru(II) complexes with chiral Cp ligands keeping the maximum number of available coordination sites. The cationic members are efficient and selective catalysts for yne-enone cyclizations via formal hetero-Diels-Alder reactions. The transformation proceeds in1 h at -20 °C and provides pyrans in up to 99:1 er. Unsaturated ester or Weinreb-amide substrates directly yield the iridoid skeleton.

Ruthenium complexes, in particular cyclopentadienyl ruthenium (??) derivatives, catalyze a vast number of transformations in the field of homogenous catalysis. Herein we describe the first synthesis of efficient chiral cationic cyclopentadienyl ruthenium (??) catalysts and their application in enantioselective cycloisomerizations yielding 4H-pyrans. A tremendous counterion effect on the selectivity was observed and subsequently explored, giving rise to a complementary set of neutral cyclopentadienyl ruthenium (??) complexes able to catalyze asymmetric cyclobutene formations.

A chiral version of the Cp*Ru(COD)Cl complex equipped with an atropchiral cyclopentadienyl (Cpx) ligand enables [2+2]-cycloadditions between bicyclic olefins and alkynes with excellent reactivity and enantioselectivity. A streamlined synthesis of the Cpx ligand by a C–H functionalisation approach is shown. The chloride counterion of the neutral CpxRuII complex is essential for enantioselectivity., Cyclopentadienyl ruthenium(ii) complexes with a large number of available coordination sites are frequently used catalysts for a broad range of transformations. To be able to render these transformations enantioselective, we have designed a chiral neutral CpxRu(ii)Cl complex basing on an atropchiral cyclopentadienyl (Cpx) ligand which is accessed in a streamlined C–H functionalisation approach. The catalyst displays excellent levels of reactivity and enantioselectivity for enantioselective [2+2]-cycloadditions leading to strained chiral cyclobutenes, allowing for catalyst loadings as low as 1 mol%. A very strong counterion effect of a bound chloride anion transforms the corresponding unselective cationic complex into a highly enantioselective neutral version. Moreover, by adding norbornadiene at the end of the reaction the catalyst can be recovered and subsequently reused.

Application of chiral derivatives of the versatile and ubiquitous cyclopentadienyl ligand has long remained an underdeveloped area in asymmetric catalysis. In this Perspective we highlight recent exciting results that demonstrate their enormous potential. In particular, we provide a comparative analysis of the available ligand families, an overview of their complexation chemistry, and an examination of their application in catalytic enantioselective reactions. We also discuss current limitations and speculate on the developments that are necessary to advance the field further.