Lipase/Aluminum-Catalyzed Dynamic Kinetic Resolution of Alcohols

Significance

Enantiomerically pure secondary alcohols are important intermediates and target products in various branches of chemical industry. In many cases, resolution of racemates is the method of choice, even though the yield of the desired isomer cannot be more than 50%. The authors reported a novel elegant method for the dynamic kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols with an in situ Al-catalyzed epimerization, so that the whole process affords enantiomerically pure products in nearly quantitative yields. Inexpensive BINOL-AlMe₃ complex is used as catalyst. The enol acetates, required as acyl donors for enzyme-catalyzed enantioselective acylation, are also readily prepared.