High enantioselectivity is typically achieved through the use of chiral catalysts. These are catalysts that possess a chiral environment and can differentiate between the two enantiomers of a substrate. There are several strategies to design chiral catalysts:
Chiral ligands on metal complexes Chiral organocatalysts Biocatalysts such as enzymes
The choice of catalyst depends on the specific reaction and desired outcome. Chiral ligands, for example, are often used in asymmetric hydrogenation and asymmetric epoxidation reactions.
