Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Isochroman Derivatives

The isochroman scaffold constitutes an important structural unit, which is present in various bioactive natural products and synthetic pharmaceutical compounds exhibiting wide arrays of biological properties. Hence the synthesis of this class of heterocyclic compounds in a stereoselective fashion is highly significant and desirable. In the last decade, a substantial advancement has been witnessed ln the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of isochroman derivatives by employing metal catalysts bearing chiral ligands or by chiral metal-free organocatalysts. This review aims to provide an overview of the transition metal-catalyzed and organocatalyzed asymmetric syntheses of isochroman derivatives including isochromenes and isochromanones.