Classical kinetic resolution, racemic alcohols

Dynamic resolution of various sec-alcohols was achieved by coupling a Candida antarctica lipase-catalyzed acyl transfer to in-situ racemization based on a second-generation transition metal complex (Scheme 3.17) [237]. In accordance with the Kazlauskas rule (Scheme 2.49) (/ )-acetate esters were obtained in excellent optical purity and chemical yields were far beyond the 50% limit set for classical kinetic resolution. This strategy is highly flexible and is also applicable to mixtures of functional scc-alcohols [238-241] and rac- and mcso-diols [242, 243]. In order to access products of opposite configuration, the protease subtilisin, which shows opposite enantiopreference to that of lipases (Fig. 2.12), was employed in a dynamic transition-metal-protease combo-catalysis [244, 245]. 

Resolution of cheap racemic mixtures with enzymes is a common route to enantiomerically pure chemicals on an industrial scale. However, the yield with a classical resolution is limited to 50%. An in situ racemization of the undesired enantiomer, combined with the enzymatic kinetic resolution, gives rise to a dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) that should in principle lead to a 100% yield in the desired isomer. In spite of several Ru and Pd homogeneous systems successfully combined with enzymes and successfully applied on industrial scale in DKR [71, 72], few metal-based heterogeneous catalysts active for alcohol racemization have been reported [19, 73, 74]. 

In addition to stereoselective metalation, other methods have been applied for the synthesis of enantiomerically pure planar chiral compounds. Many racemic planar chiral amines and acids can be resolved by both classical and chromatographic techniques (see Sect. 4.3.1.1 for references on resolution procedures). Some enzymes have the remarkable ability to differentiate planar chiral compounds. For example, horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (HLADH) catalyzes the oxidation of achiral ferrocene-1,2-dimethanol by NAD to (S)-2-hydroxymethyl-ferrocenealdehyde with 86% ee (Fig. 4-2la) and the reduction of ferrocene-1,2-dialdehyde by NADH to (I )-2-hydroxymethyl-ferrocenealdehyde with 94% ee (Fig. 4-2lb) [14]. Fermenting baker s yeast also reduces ferrocene-1,2-dialdehyde to (I )-2-hydroxymethyl-ferro-cenealdehyde [17]. HLADH has been used for a kinetic resolution of 2-methyl-ferrocenemethanol, giving 64% ee in the product, (S)-2-methyl-ferrocenealdehyde... 

The enantioselective acylation of alcohols, and amine reactions by lipases and esterases in organic synthesis with examples of classical and dynamic kinetic resolutions of racemates, are shown, giving attention to the desymmetrization of meso-compoxmds. 

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