The Concept of Prochirality Applied to Coordination Compounds

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Abstract
The concept of prochirality, widely used for organic molecules, is extended here to mononuclear octahedral (OC-6), square pyramidal (SP-5), square planar (SP-4) and trigonal bipyramidal (TB-5) coordination compounds. A prochiral coordination compound (Cs symmetry) is characterized by a prochiral center, namely the metal atom, and by the existence of two heterotopic elements. The elements can be ligands, faces or planes, depending on the geometry of the complex. The most common reactions that can transform the prochiral metal center into a chiral one are treated in detail. Interactions of prochiral complexes with prochiral organic molecules are also treated. Applications of particular interest for prochiral coordination compounds can be envisaged in the fields of asymmetric synthesis and bioinorganic chemistry.