Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
The special ability of proline to catalyze aldol additions via enamine formation and BrA¸nsted acid activation makes proline a versatile catalyst for enantioselective synthesis. In their Perspective, Sorensen and Sammis discuss the results reported by Northrup and MacMillan, in which proline is used to catalyze the first step of a two-step synthesis of glucose, mannose, and allose. This remarkable stereoselective synthesis uses achiral two-carbon building blocks in the shortest syntheses of these hexoses to date.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Sorensen et al. (2004) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: