The enantioselectivity of a catalyst is often achieved through the creation of a chiral environment around the active site. This can be accomplished in several ways:
Chiral Ligands In metal-based catalysts, chiral ligands are used to create a chiral environment around the metal center. These ligands are designed to fit snugly around the metal, inducing a specific spatial arrangement that favors the formation of one enantiomer.
Substrate Recognition Enzymatic and some organocatalysts achieve enantioselectivity through substrate recognition. The active site of the catalyst is highly specific to one enantiomer of the substrate, thus favoring the formation of the desired enantiomer.
Transition State Stabilization Enantioselective catalysts often work by stabilizing the transition state of the reaction to favor the formation of one enantiomer. This can be achieved through non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces, and π-π interactions.
