Esterases as User-Friendly Biocatalysts in Natural Product Synthesis

This chapter illustrates the application of lipases and esterases as user-friendly biocatalysts in (i) desymmetrization of prochiral or meso-diols and diacetates, (ii) kinetic resolution of racemic alcohols, and (iii) preparation of enantiopure intermediate(s) from a mixture of stereoisomers by enzymatic differentiation. All the examples were taken from our own works in natural products synthesis. 

Desymmetrization of a prochiral or meso-compound is in principle more efficient than kinetic resolution of a racemate, because the former converts all of the starting material to the desired product, while kinetic resolution of a racemate gives the desired product in 50% yield at most. It is essential to design a good substrate 

Green Biocatalysis, First Edition. Edited by Ramesh N. Patel. 

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