Enzymatic optical resolution

Keywords Chiral fluorinated materials, microbial transformation, enzymatic optical resolution, microorganisms, stereochemistry. 

Yeast-mediated reductions predominantly form a single enantiomer and it is often difficult to find conditions which produce the opposite stereoisomer selectively. It has, however, been possible to obtain both enantiomers in 50% yield in 100% via enzymatic optical resolution. Chiral fluorinated secondary alcohols possessing the mono-, di- and/or trifluoromethyl group have been prepared by enzyme-catalyzed kinetic resolutions [27]. 

In this type of study, the terminally-CF3 propargylic alcohol (S)- derived from the enzymatic resolution is also a useful intermediate. This material is transformed into the corresponding E- and Z-allylic alcohols after successful enzymatic optical resolution. Os04-catalyzed oxidation eventually led to the formation of the desired triols 30 in a diastereoselective manner. 

In conclusion, the combination of an enzymatic optical resolution and subsequent chemical transformations of epimerization or racemization of the asymmetric center of the unwanted antipodes have led to the successful development of processes for preparation of the two optically active pyrethroid insecticides. This work will provide a novel feature in the application of enzymes, especially lipases for the industrial production of chiral compounds. 

Next, Danishefsky s allosamizoline synthesis will be described [143,144]. The key point of their synthetic strategy is the utilization of enzymatic optical resolution to the racemic substrate. As illustrated in O Fig. 8, there are two approaches for the enzymatic optical resolution. One is the enzymatic hydrolysis of a diester [145,146,147], and the other is the enzymatic transacylation of the meso-dk> [148,149,150] (O Fig. 8). In Danishefsky s group, the former route was chosen as the key step. Treatment of diacetate 186 with electric eel acetylcholinesterase provided the monoacetate 187, which was reported by Deardorrf et al. [147]. This work was also applied to the synthesis of PG p2a in Danishefsky s laboratory [151]. On the basis of the success of their synthesis of PG p2a, diacetate 188, which was derived from the 2-alkene-l,4-diol derivative 176, was treated with electric eel acetylcholinesterase as well. Interestingly, this treatment provided the unexpected monoacetate 189 in 95% yield, > 95% ee (O Fig. 8). 

In a similar manner, enantiopure l-f-Boc-3-TIPSO-4-CF3-P-lactam 14 was synthesized from benzyloxyacetyl chloride/triethylamine and (V-PMP-CF3-aldimine through [2+2] ketene-imine cycloaddition, enzymatic optical resolution (PS Amano lipase at... 

The key intermediate used for the enzymatic optical resolution was hydroxy lactone ( )-C prepared from citral via ( )-A. Treatment of ( )-C with vinyl acetate in the presence of lipase AK (Amano) effected asymmetric acetylation, and the recovered (-l-)-hydroxy lactone C as well as the acetate (+)-D were obtained. Subsequently, (+)-C was converted to (+)-strigol (51). Three stereoisomers of strigol, 51, 51" and 51 " were also synthesized. 

Asymmetric transformation of fluorine-containing ketones or esters into the corresponding optically active alcohols or acids by enzymes along with the discussion on the effect of fluorinated alkyl groups during the enzymatic optical resolution or diastereoselective reactions is described. 

In many cases only the racemic mixtures of a-amino acids can be obtained through chemical synthesis. Therefore, optical resolution (42) is indispensable to get the optically active L- or D-forms in the production of expensive or uncommon amino acids. The optical resolution of amino acids can be done in two general ways physical or chemical methods which apply the stereospecific properties of amino acids, and biological or enzymatic methods which are based on the characteristic behavior of amino acids in living cells in the presence of enzymes. 

Recently novel methods were reported to make (lR)-trans-chrysanthemic acid including optical resolutions with the (+)-3-caranediol or l,l -binaphthol monoethylether, enzymatic resolution with Arthrobacter globiformis and the asymmetric synthesis with a new Cu catalyst. These methods are reviewed in this section. 

This problem was solved by Adam and coworkers in 1994-1998. They presented a high-yielding and diastereoselective method for the preparation of epoxydiols starting from enantiomerically pure allyhc alcohols 39 (Scheme 69). Photooxygenation of the latter produces unsaturated a-hydroxyhydroperoxides 146 via Schenck ene reaction. In this reaction the (Z)-allylic alcohols afford the (5, 5 )-hydroperoxy alcohols 146 as the main diastereomer in a high threo selectivity (dr >92 8) as racemic mixmre. The ( )-allylic alcohols react totally unselectively threolerythro 1/1). Subsequent enzymatic kinetic resolution of rac-146 threolerythro mixture) with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) led to optically active hydroperoxy alcohols S,S) and (//,5 )-146 ee >99%) and the... 

Contrary to the optical resolutions described in Sections 2.1.1.-2.1.3., which depend on the solubility or chromatographic properties ( Thermodynamic resolution ), the kinetic resolution rests on rate differences shown by the enantiomers when reacted with an optically active reagent. In the ideal case, only one enantiomer is converted into the envisaged product and the other enantiomer is unchanged. In this way, optical resolution is reduced to the more simple separation of two different reaction products. In practice, only two methods of kinetic resolution are reasonably general and reliable the Sharpless epoxidation of allylic alcohols and the enzymatic transesterification of racemic alcohols or carboxylic acids. 

Kinetic optical resolution of racemic alcohols and carboxylic acids by enzymatic acyl transfer reactions has received enormous attention in recent years56. The enzymes generally employed are commercially available lipases and esterases, preferentially porcine liver esterase (PLE) or porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL). Lipases from microorganisms, such as Candida cylindracea, Rhizopus arrhizus or Chromobacterium viscosum, are also fairly common. A list of suitable enzymes is found in reference 57. Standard procedures are described in reference 58. Some examples of the resolution of racemic alcohols are given39. 

Enzymatic kinetic resolutions via enantioselective esterifications have been successfully used for the preparation of optically active (hydroxymethyl)silanes, with the silicon atom... 

The principle of the optical resolution of racemic pantolactone is shown in Fig. 13. If racemic pantolactone is used as a substrate for the hydrolysis reaction by the stereospecific lactonase, only the d- or L-pantolactone might be converted to d- or L-pantoic acid and the l- or D-enantiomer might remain intact, respectively. Consequently, the racemic mixture could be resolved into D-pan-toic acid and L-pantolactone, or D-pantolactone and L-pantoic acid. In the case of L-pantolactone-specific lactonase, the optical purity of the remaining d-pantolactone might be low, except when the hydrolysis of L-pantolactone is complete. On the other hand, using the D-pantolactone-specific lactonase, d-pantoic acid with high optical purity could be constantly obtained independently of the hydrolysis yield. Therefore, the enzymatic resolution of racemic pantolactone with D-pantolactone-specific lactonase was investigated [138 140]. 

The overall process for this enzymatic resolution is compared with the conventional chemical process in Fig. 14. The enzymatic process can skip several tedious steps which are necessary in chemical resolution and this is a considerable practical advantage. There have been several reports on the application of enzymatic asymmetric hydrolysis to the optical resolution of pantolactone [141, 142], In these cases, esterified substrates, such as O-acetyl or O-formyl pantolactone, and lipases were used as the starting materials and catalysts, respectively. Since the lactonase of F. oxysporum hydrolyzes the intramolecular ester bond of pantolactone, it is not necessary to modify the substrate, pantolactone. This is one of the practical advantages of this enzyme. 

For example, when powdered host 27 was mixed with volatile rac-but-3-yn-2-ol (29) and left for 24 h, a 1 1 inclusion complex with (+1-29 was formed. The alcohol can be removed from the complex by heating in vacuo yielding 29 of 59 % ee and 77 % yield. A second complexation, followed by distillation in vacuo, gave (+)-29 of 99 % ee and 28 % yield. The best resolution of rac-29 reported to date was by enzymatic esterification, and gave chiral alcohol at 70 % ee and 31% yield [49], Host 27 could be used for optical resolution of rac-2-hexanol... 

Recent studies in the pharmaceutical field using MBR technology are related to optical resolution of racemic mixtures or esters synthesis. The kinetic resolution of (R,S)-naproxen methyl esters to produce (S)-naproxen in emulsion enzyme membrane reactors (E-EMRs) where emulsion is produced by crossflow membrane emulsification [38, 39], and of racemic ibuprofen ester [40] were developed. The esters synthesis, like for example butyl laurate, by a covalent attachment of Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) onto a ceramic support previously coated by polymers was recently described [41]. An enzymatic membrane reactor based on the immobilization of lipase on a ceramic support was used to perform interesterification between castor oil triglycerides and methyl oleate, reducing the viscosity of the substrate by injecting supercritical CO2 [42],... 

In order to increase the efficiency of biocatalytic transformations conducted under continuous flow conditions, Honda et al. (2006, 2007) reported an integrated microfluidic system, consisting of an immobilized enzymatic microreactor and an in-line liquid-liquid extraction device, capable of achieving the optical resolution of racemic amino acids under continuous flow whilst enabling efficient recycle of the enzyme. As Scheme 42 illustrates, the first step of the optical resolution was an enzyme-catalyzed enantioselective hydrolysis of a racemic mixture of acetyl-D,L-phenylalanine to afford L-phenylalanine 157 (99.2-99.9% ee) and unreacted acetyl-D-phenylalanine 158. Acidification of the reaction products, prior to the addition of EtOAc, enabled efficient continuous extraction of L-phenylalanine 157 into the aqueous stream, whilst acetyl-D-phenylalanine 158 remained in the organic fraction (84—92% efficiency). Employing the optimal reaction conditions of 0.5 gl min 1 for the enzymatic reaction and 2.0 gl min-1 for the liquid-liquid extraction, the authors were able to resolve 240 nmol h-1 of the racemate. 

Enzymatic resolution has been successfully applied to the preparation of optically active gem-difluorocyclopropanes (see Scheme 12.4). We succeeded in the first optical resolution of racemic gm-difluorocyclopropane diacetate, trans-43, through lipase-catalyzed enantiomer-specific hydrolysis to give (R,R)-(-)-44 with >99% ee (see equation 9, Scheme 12.4) [4a], We also applied lipase-catalyzed optical resolution to an efficient preparation of monoacetate cw-46 from prochiral diacetate m-45 (see equation 10, Scheme 12.4) [4a], Kirihara et al. reported the successful desymmetrization of diacetate 47 by lipase-catalyzed enantiomer-selective hydrolysis to afford monoacetate (R)-48, which was further transformed to enantiopure amino acid 15 (see equation 11, Scheme 12.4) [19]. We demonstrated that the lipase-catalyzed enantiomer-specific hydrolysis was useful for bis-gem-difluorocyclopropane 49. Thus, optically pure diacetate (R,S,S,R)-49 and (S,R,R,S)-diol 50, were obtained in good yields, while meso-49 was converted to the single monoacetate enantiomer (R,S,R,S)-51 via efficient desymmetrization (see equation 12, Scheme 12.4) [4b, 4e], Since these mono- and bis-gm-difluorocyclopropanes have two hydroxymethyl groups to modify, a variety of compounds can be prepared using them as building blocks [4, 22],... 

Syntheses of relatively simple chiral drugs on an industrial scale are the domain of catalytic or enzymatic methods. In the case of the calcium antagonist diltiazem [113] Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation (AD-reaction) is employed which works particularly efficiently for cinnamic acid derivatives such as 48-1. In fact diol 48-2 is obtained with good optical enrichment and is then converted into the target compound via 6 routine steps. Alternatively diltiazem is prepared via classical optical resolution or via enzymatic kinetic resolution of suitable intermediates [113]. 

Between 1954 and 1969 this enzymatic resolution method had been employed by Tanabe SeiycUcu Co., Ltd. for the production of several L-amino acids. In the 1960s we extensively studied the immobilization of aminoacylase for continuous optical resolution... 

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