Asymmetric Mukaiyama aldol reactions using chiral diamine-coordinated Sn(II) triflate: development and application to natural product synthesis

In 1989, the asymmetric Mukaiyama aldol reaction mediated by a Lewis acid consisting of a chiral diamine and Sn(II) triflate was reported. The asymmetric Mukaiyama aldol reaction is now widely used as a versatile tool for the construction of highly advanced, multifunctionalized molecules. In this Personal Account, the history of the development of this powerful methodology and the application of the asymmetric Mukaiyama aldol reaction in the synthesis of natural products are reviewed.