by Wong Hei Lam Harry. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-67). / Abstract also in Chinese. / Library's copy: Copy 2 imperfect, p. 60-63 missing. / Table of Contents --- p.i / Acknowledgments --- p.iii / Abbreviations --- p.iv / Abstract --- p.v / Abstract (Chinese) --- p.vi / Chapter CHAPTER I --- GENERAL INTRODUCTION / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Different biological activities of enantiomers --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Approach to enantiomerically pure compounds --- p.3 / Chapter 1.1.3 --- Principle of asymmetric synthesis --- p.4 / Chapter 1.1.4 --- Asymmetric catalysis and chiral catalyst --- p.5 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Asymmetric cyclopropanation: general introduction --- p.6 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Asymmetric cyclopropanation: initial studies --- p.8 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- Development of c2-symmetric semicorrin and its derivatives --- p.10 / Chapter 1.2.4 --- Bisoxazolines --- p.12 / Chapter 1.2.5 --- Tridentate N donor ligands --- p.13 / Chapter 1.2.6 --- "2,2'-Bipyridines" --- p.14 / Chapter 1.2.7 --- Chiral metalloporphyrin catalyst --- p.15 / Chapter 1.2.8 --- Intramolecular asymmetric cyclopropanation --- p.16 / Chapter CHAPTER II --- DESIGN AND SYNTHESIS OF CHIRAL LIGANDS / Chapter 2.1 --- Development of atropisomeric biaryls --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2 --- "Chiral 2,2'-bipyridine ligands" --- p.19 / Chapter 2.3 --- Design of chiral ligands --- p.22 / Chapter 2.4 --- Synthesis of target ligands: synthetic strategy --- p.22 / Chapter 2.5 --- Attempted synthesis of target ligands via cross-coupling reaction --- p.22