O. Nordin et al., Kinetic resolution of primary 2-methyl-substituted alcohols via Pseudomonas cepacia lipase-catalysed enantioselective acylation, J CHEM S P1, (3), 2000, pp. 367-376
The enantioselectivities of lipases from Pseudomonas cepacia (PFL, Amano PS
, etc.) towards a series of primary 2-methyl-substituted alcohols using vin
yl acetate as the acyl donor in transesterifications in organic solvents we
re studied. In terms of enantioselectivity, the best results were found for
3-aryl-2-methylpropan-1-ols with enantiomeric ratios (E-values) over 100 i
n most cases, whereas other 3-substituted primary 2-methylpropan-1-ols gene
rally displayed lower enantioselectivities: 3-cycloalkyl-2-methylpropan-1-o
ls (E approximate to 20) and 2-methylalkan-1-ols (E approximate to 10). Mov
ing the aryl group closer or further away from the chiral centre resulted i
n low enantioselectivities: 2-arylpropan-1-ols (E < 10), 2-methyl-4-(2-thie
nyl)butan-1-ol (E = 12), 2-methyl-5-(2-thienyl)pentan-1-ol (E = 3.2) and 2-
methyl-6-(2-thienyl)hexan-1-ol (E = 3.8).