Enzyme discrimination between conformational enantiomers as a means of effecting asymmetric syntheses

Abstract

Enzymes have been used to effect asymmetric syntheses with chiral molecules which are racemic at room temperature since their conformers are enantiomeric; stereospecific horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase-catalysed oxidations in high (80%) yields of cis-1,2-bis-(hydroxymethyl)cyclohexane and its Δ⁴-analogue to (1S,2R)-cis-2-hydroxymethylcyclohexanecarboxylic acid lactone (optically pure) and the corresponding (1S,6R)-Δ³-lactone (85% optically pure), respectively, have been carried out.