Fluxional chiral DMAP‐catalyzed kinetic resolutions of axially chiral biaryls were examined using density functional theory. Computational analyses lead to a revised understanding of this reaction in which the interplay of numerous non‐covalent interactions control the conformation and flexibility of the active catalyst, the preferred mechanism, and the stereoselectivity. Notably, while the DMAP catalyst itself is confirmed to be highly fluxional, electrostatically driven π⋅⋅⋅π+ interactions render the active, acylated form of the catalyst highly rigid, explaining its pronounced stereoselectivity.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.