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Masson, G.; Zhu, J., Science of Synthesis: Stereoselective Synthesis, (2011) 2, 779.
Much effort has been devoted to the development of enantioselective Morita–Baylis–Hillman reactions from the 1990s onwards, and a number of effective catalytic systems have been discovered from these studies. Multiple parameters including the structure of the catalyst and cocatalyst, the nature of the solvent, and the reaction concentration and stoichiometry have been found to be crucial to the reaction outcome. The fine tuning of these parameters has led to a set of efficient catalyst systems. Although remarkable progress has been made in the area of the asymmetric Morita–Baylis–Hillman and aza-Morita–Baylis–Hillman reactions, many challenges and questions still remain. The detailed mechanism of the reaction is still a matter of controversy, and a catalytic system applicable to a wide range of substrates is still waiting to be discovered. Notably, the development of enantioselective intramolecular aza-Morita–Baylis–Hillman reactions, which would provide access to densely functionalized cyclic products in one step, is still missing. This area is developing at a rapid pace and further progress in both catalyst design and mechanistic insight will surely be forthcoming.