Progress on the Asymmetric Catalytic Synthesis of Chiral Flavors and Fragrances

Chiral flavors and fragrances have been widely used in cosmetics, food, medicine, etc. Because human olfactory and taste receptors are made up of chiral biomolecules, the aromas of different enantiomers of chiral flavors and fragrances are not the same. Therefore, in order to avoid the potential risks caused by the "ineffective" enantiomers of chiral flavors and fragrances, reduce the use and discharge of wastes, and protect the environment, it is particularly important to develop efficient methods for the asymmetric synthesis of chiral flavors and fragrances. Great progress has been achieved in the field of catalytic asymmetric catalysis in last decades. A number of catalytic asymmetric reactions have been applied to the synthesis and productions of enantiomeric pure chiral flavors and fragrances. In this paper, we briefly review the progress on the study of catalytic asymmetric synthesis of chiral flavors and fragrances including L-methanol, methyl dihydrojasmonate, muscone, rose oxide, etc.