Vinyl carbonates as novel alkoxycarbonylation reagents in enzymatic synthesis of carbonates

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(01)88237-5

Carbonates could be obtained by enzymatic alkoxycarbonylation from vinyl carbonates, which are easily prepared from vinyl chloroformate. The reaction was catalyzed by Candida antarctica lipases, SP 435 and SP 435 A. The method could be also used for the synthesis of carbamates. When racemic alcohols were used, lipase catalyzed their resolution, and chiral carbonates were obtained with different enantiomeric excesses depending upon the structure of the alcohol.