ENANTIOCOMPLEMENTARY SYNTHESIS OF FUNCTIONALIZED CYCLOALKENOL BUILDING-BLOCKS USING LIPASE

Racemic 2-carbethoxy-2-cyclopenten-1-ol [(+/-)-3a] and racemic 2-carbethoxy-2-cyclohexen-1-ol [(+/-)-3b] afforded the corresponding (R)-acetates [(R)-4a and (R)-4b] leaving the corresponding (S)-alcohols [(S)-3a and (S)-3b] unchanged upon treatment with vinyl acetate in tert-butyl methyl ether in the presence of lipase PS, respectively, while the racemic acetates [(+/-)-4a and (+/-)-4b], derived from racemic precursors, (+/-)-3a and (+/-)-3b, on suspension with lipase in a phosphate buffer solution afforded the corresponding (R)-alcohols [(R)-3a and (R)-3b] leaving the corresponding (S)-acetates [(S)-4a and (S)-4b] unchanged, respectively.