Enzymatic differentiation of the enantiotopic hydroxymethyl groups of glycerol; synthesis of chiral building blocks

Abstract

The prochiral (3b), derived from glycerol, was transformed by enantioselective, enzymatic hydrolysis into the central chiral building block (R)-(4) of high enantiomeric purity, which was further elaborated into a variety of chiral building blocks with the glycerol skeleton.