Asymmetric catalysis has emerged as a general and powerful
approach
for constructing chiral compounds in an enantioselective manner. Hence,
developing novel chiral ligands and catalysts that can effectively
induce asymmetry in reactions is crucial in modern chemical synthesis.
Among such chiral ligands and catalysts, chiral dienes and their metal
complexes have received increased attention, and a great progress
has been made over the past two decades. This review provides comprehensive
and critical information on the essential aspects of chiral diene
ligands and their importance in asymmetric catalysis. The literature
covered ranges from August 2003 (when the first effective chiral diene
ligand for asymmetric catalysis was reported) to October 2021. This
review is divided into two parts. In the first part, the chiral diene
ligands are categorized according to their structures, and their preparation
methods are summarized. In the second part, their applications in
asymmetric transformations are presented according to the reaction
types.