Kinetic Resolution of Racemic Secondary Benzylic Alcohols by the Enantioselective Esterification Using Pyridine-3-carboxylic Anhydride (3-PCA) with Chiral Acyl-Transfer Catalysts

Pyridine-3-carboxylic anhydride (3-PCA) was found to function as an efficient coupling reagent for the preparation of carboxylic esters from various carboxylic acids with alcohols under mild conditions by a simple experimental procedure. This novel condensation reagent 3-PCA was applicable not only for the synthesis of achiral carboxylic esters catalyzed by 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP) but also for the production of chiral carboxylic esters by the combination of chiral nucleophilic catalyst, such as tetramisole (=2,3,5,6-tetrahydro-6-phenylimidazo[2,1-b][1,3]thiazole) derivatives. An efficient kinetic resolution of racemic benzylic alcohols with achiral carboxylic acids was achieved by using 3-PCA in the presence of (R)-benzotetramisole ((R)-BTM), and a variety of optically active carboxylic esters were produced with high enantiomeric excesses by this new chiral induction system without using a tertiary amine.