Nowadays, chirality is widely accepted as an important factor in molecular recognition processes and the biological activity of many pharmaceutical drugs and agrochemicals; this is confirmed by the continuous need for synthetic methods which lead to single or enriched enantiomers of such compounds.
By presenting a review of the various and more recently developed approaches for both metal-transition and organocatalysis, this volume describes the development of ¿greener¿ asymmetric reactions which preserve stereoselectivity.
The author summarizes the impressive amount of research that has been gathered within this field into three chapters focusing on: i)the search of alternative catalysts, ii) alternative solvents, and iii) alternative synthetic strategies and processes. For each topic, the fundamentals and some valuable applications are discussed.

Angela Patti works for the National Council of Research and holds a position as Senior Research Scientist at the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (ICB).

Methods for the preparation of optically active chiral compounds.- "Green" asymmetric synthesis: the catalysts.- Alternative solvents and recycle of the catalyst.- Technological tools and design of new chemical processes.- Technological tools and design of new chemical processes.