Iron(II)-catalyzed enantioselective meso-epoxide-opening with anilines.

A highly enantioselective method for the catalytic opening of aromatic meso-epoxides with aniline derivatives was developed. The desired chiral β-amino alcohols were obtained in mostly good to very good yields with excellent enantioselectivities. Structural evidence of the pre-catalyst revealed a scarcely disclosed heptadentate Fe(II) complex with the chiral bipyridine ligand.