NEW CHIRAL BUILDING BLOCKS BY MICROBIAL ASYMMETRIC REDUCTION: A DIRECT ACCESS TO FUNCTIONALIZED 2R,3R- AND 2S,3R-2-METHYL-3-HYDROXY BUTYRATE SYNTHONS

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(00)96688-7

The reduction of 4-O-benzyl-2-methyl-3-oxo-butyrate esters by several fungal strains produces predominantly (2S,3R)-anti-hydroxyesters in high optical purity.The corresponding (2R,3R)-syn isomer was obtained, with other strains, only in mixture with the anti isomer.These esters are useful precursors for chiral 2-methyl-3-hydroxy-butyrolactone synthons.