An Enantioselective Synthesis of (-)-Nonactic Acid and (+)-8-epi-Nonactic Acid Using Microbial Reduction

Article abstract of DOI:10.1055/s-1997-751

An enantioselective synthesis of (-)-nonactic acid (2a) and (+)-8-epi-nonactic acid (2b) is described. The microbial reduction of the dl-ketone 3 with baker's yeast gave two easily separable diastereomeric alcohols 11a and 11b, each in over 97% ee. These alcohols were converted to 2a and 2b in 4 steps.