The synthesis of three important lactones via an enzymatic resolution strategy that improves ee's and yields

Abstract

Three important lactones have been synthesized in high enantiomeric purity by a complimentary, two-enantioselective-step strategy. In this approach, an enzymatic kinetic resolution is performed on a starting material that has been enriched in the faster-reacting enantiomer by an earlier enantioselective step. The results show that percent conversions, yields and ee's can be dramatically increased by this complimentary approach, and they illustrate how modestly enantioselective techniques can be combined with kinetic resolution procedures to yield optically pure compounds. The utility of many modestly enantioselective (and hence sometimes disregarded) techniques can be enhanced thereby.