Enzymatic resolution of homoallyllic alcohols using various Rhizopus species
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Updated: Sep 20, 2026

Enzymatic Cascade Reactions for the Synthesis of Chiral Amino Alcohols from L-lysine
Published on: February 16, 2018
Neeta A Salvi1, Lalit P Badheka, Subrata Chattopadhyay
1Bio-Organic Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 40085, India.
Abstract:
The asymmetric resolution of various 1-aryl-3-buten-1-ols via microbial hydrolysis of the corresponding acetates has been investigated using different Rhizopus species. The chosen species, R. arrhizus (wild type), efficiently hydrolyzed 1-phenyl- and 1-para-substituted phenyl-3-buten-1-ol acetates, producing the enantiomerically pure (R)-alcohols with 53-65% yields. Although the antipode acetates were obtained with 9-52% enantiomeric excess, the (S)-alcohols were amenable in >99% enantiomeric excess via a R. arrhizus mediated asymmetric reduction of the corresponding ketones.
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