This is the final report of a three-year Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The goal of the project was to develop new catalyst systems that could perform chemical reactions in an enantioselective manner, producing only one of the possible optical isomers of the product molecule. The research focused on the use of lanthanide metals with diolate and Schiff-base ligands as catalysts for the enantioselective reduction of prochiral ketones to secondary alcohols. The ligands were synthesized from cheap, readily available materials in a modular fashion, allowing for easy modification of specific groups. Additionally, a new ligand system was developed for Group IV and lanthanide-based olefin polymerization catalysts, which can be easily prepared from readily available starting materials and allows for the rapid preparation of a wide range of closely related ligands. The modern pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries rely heavily on the ability to produce biologically active organic compounds of high optical purity. Many drugs were previously supplied as racemic mixtures, but the catastrophic effects of Thalidomide, a racemic mixture, highlighted the importance of enantiomeric purity. The preparation of a single enantiomer can be achieved through either mechanical or chemical separation of a racemic mixture or through enantioselective synthesis. The latter method is more efficient and is increasingly used in pharmaceutical production. The research aimed to develop novel catalytic species based on lanthanide metal centers that could catalyze organic transformations in a highly efficient and enantioselective manner. The study focused on the design of chiral ligands that could be synthesized from cheap, naturally occurring materials. The research involved the synthesis of various chiral ligands, including diolates and Schiff bases, and their use in catalytic reactions such as the Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley (MPV) reduction of ketones. The results showed that the enantioselectivity of the reactions varied depending on the metal center used, with gadolinium and erbium showing the highest enantioselectivity and yield, respectively. The research also explored the synthesis of new chiral ligands for stereospecific polymerization of prochiral olefins, which is important in the production of stereoregular polypropylene. The study developed a new class of nonmetallocene ligands that could support a catalytically active metal center and control the stereochemistry of a growing polymer chain. The synthetic procedure involved the preparation of aldimines and their reductive coupling to form diamines, which were then used as ligands in polymerization reactions. The results showed that these ligands were effective in the polymerization of ethylene and other substituted olefins. The research has significant implications for the development of new asymmetric catalysts and the production of optically pure compounds.This is the final report of a three-year Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The goal of the project was to develop new catalyst systems that could perform chemical reactions in an enantioselective manner, producing only one of the possible optical isomers of the product molecule. The research focused on the use of lanthanide metals with diolate and Schiff-base ligands as catalysts for the enantioselective reduction of prochiral ketones to secondary alcohols. The ligands were synthesized from cheap, readily available materials in a modular fashion, allowing for easy modification of specific groups. Additionally, a new ligand system was developed for Group IV and lanthanide-based olefin polymerization catalysts, which can be easily prepared from readily available starting materials and allows for the rapid preparation of a wide range of closely related ligands. The modern pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries rely heavily on the ability to produce biologically active organic compounds of high optical purity. Many drugs were previously supplied as racemic mixtures, but the catastrophic effects of Thalidomide, a racemic mixture, highlighted the importance of enantiomeric purity. The preparation of a single enantiomer can be achieved through either mechanical or chemical separation of a racemic mixture or through enantioselective synthesis. The latter method is more efficient and is increasingly used in pharmaceutical production. The research aimed to develop novel catalytic species based on lanthanide metal centers that could catalyze organic transformations in a highly efficient and enantioselective manner. The study focused on the design of chiral ligands that could be synthesized from cheap, naturally occurring materials. The research involved the synthesis of various chiral ligands, including diolates and Schiff bases, and their use in catalytic reactions such as the Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley (MPV) reduction of ketones. The results showed that the enantioselectivity of the reactions varied depending on the metal center used, with gadolinium and erbium showing the highest enantioselectivity and yield, respectively. The research also explored the synthesis of new chiral ligands for stereospecific polymerization of prochiral olefins, which is important in the production of stereoregular polypropylene. The study developed a new class of nonmetallocene ligands that could support a catalytically active metal center and control the stereochemistry of a growing polymer chain. The synthetic procedure involved the preparation of aldimines and their reductive coupling to form diamines, which were then used as ligands in polymerization reactions. The results showed that these ligands were effective in the polymerization of ethylene and other substituted olefins. The research has significant implications for the development of new asymmetric catalysts and the production of optically pure compounds.