Enantiomers biotechnological methods

Both enantiomers of lactic acid (2-hydroxypropanoic acid) are natural products and easily obtained by biotechnological methods, so there is no need for their synthesis in the laboratory. Even their esters with alkanols, e.g.. 1, are comparatively inexpensive and, therefore, convenient starting materials for derivatization to chiral reagents and auxiliaries. If necessary, such esters can be obtained by any convenient esterification technique. O-Acylated derivatives of lactic esters have been used very successfully as chiral auxiliaries in diastereoselective Diels-Alder reactions (Section D.1.6.1.1.1.1.2.). The acrylate 2 and methacrylate 31-3 and the fu-marate 43 give very high enantiomeric excesses. These are obtained from the lactic ester by treatment with an acid chloride. 

Enzymatic, biochemical, or microbiological methods based on selective transformation of one of the isomers into the desired product, or, removal of one of the enantiomers from the mixture. Such methods are currently used in biotechnological processes leading to the procurement of various compounds, including optically active ones [43]. 

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