Highly Efficient Synthesis of Enantiopure Diacetylated C2‐Symmetric Diols by Ruthenium‐ and Enzyme‐Catalyzed Dynamic Kinetic Asymmetric Transformation (DYKAT)

Abstract

Highly efficient synthesis of enantiopure diacetates of 2,4-pentanediol and 2,5-hexanediol starting from commercially available mixtures of the diols (dl/meso ≈1:1) has been realized by combining a fast ruthenium-catalyzed epimerization with an enzymatic transesterification. The in situ coupling of these two processes produces the diacetates in high yield in >99 % enantiomeric excess.