Ethyl (R)-3-hydroxy-4-phenylthiobutyrate: Synthesis by the bakers' yeast reduction and use as a precursor of enantiomerically pure β-lactam

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0040-4039(96)01693-0

The bakers' yeast reduction of ethyl 3-oxo-4-phenylthiobutanoate gave ethyl (R)-3-hydroxy-4-phenylthiobutanoate with >99%ee. The resultant enantiomerically pure alcohol was easily transformed into β-lactam without loss of its enantiomeric purity via the oxamate derivative.