Lipase-catalyzed irreversible transesterification of 1-(2-furyl)ethanol using isopropenyl acetate.

Asymmetric acetylation of racemic 1-(2-furyl)ethanol with the innocuous acyl donor isopropenyl acetate catalyzed by lipases in organic media afforded the chiral alcohol and acetate in high enantiomeric excess (up to 99%). The effect of molecular sieves as well as organic solvents on the kinetic resolution were studied. An effective separation of the enantiomers of both substrate and product was performed using gas chromatography on the chiral stationary phase heptakis-(2,3-di-O-methyl-6-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-beta-cyclodextrin.