Homochiral glycerol derivatives by lipase-catalysed racemate resolution

Various aspects of enzyme-catalysed racemate resolution are discussed by using examples from hydrolysis of butanoates of glycerol derivatives. Primary esters of various 1,2-ketals gave low enantioselectivity (E). The results with secondary esters varied. The highest E value (> 100) was obtained when the primary ether groups were methyl and phenylethyl. For the corresponding methyl, phenyl diether E was observed to increase as the hydrolysis proceeded. The stereochemistry of the products agree with a proposed model for lipases.