The stereochemistry of an organic compound can have a profound influence on many of its most important properties. For example, the enantiomeric forms of a drug molecule can have completely different biological effects, and polymers that differ only in the stereochemistry of their backbones can have quite dissimilar macroscopic physical characteristics. Control over the stereochemical outcome of organic reactions has thus long been recognized as a central concern across multiple sectors of modern synthetic chemistry. Thus, the design of asymmetric catalytic systems remains an active and vital research area. Current progress in the field of asymmetric catalysis continues to be driven both by conceptual innovations as well as demonstrations of the applicability of enantioselective catalytic reactions to increasingly complex synthetic problems.

See also the Thematic Series:
Bifunctional catalysis
Sustainable catalysis