Readily available ruthenium complex for efficient dynamic kinetic resolution of aromatic α-hydroxy ketones.
A ruthenium complex formed from commercially available [Ru(p-cymene)Cl2]2 and 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane catalyzes the racemization of aromatic α-hydroxy ketones very efficiently at room temperature. The racemization is fully compatible with a kinetic resolution catalyzed by a lipase from Pseudomonas stutzeri. This is the first example of dynamic kinetic resolution of α-hydroxy ketones at ambient temperature in which the metal and enzyme catalysts work in concert in one pot at room temperature to give quantitative yields of esters of α-hydroxy ketones with very high enantioselectivity.
Department of Organic Chemistry, The Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University , SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
Santosh
S
Agrawal
Elisa
E
Martínez-Castro
Rocío
R
Marcos
Belén
B
Martín-Matute