Size and Polarizability as Design Principles for Stereoselective Catalysis

Molecular volumes and isotropic polarizabilities of a larger number of carbocyclic π-systems ranging from benzene on the small to heptacene on the large end are provided in order to facilitate the analysis of positively size-dependent catalytic processes, where an increase in substrate or catalyst size leads to an increase in reaction rate and/or reaction stereoselectivity. The utility of this approach is demonstrated for selected stereoselective catalytic processes from the contemporary literature.