ORGN 273 |
| Chiral drugs have become a major market for the fine chemicals industry with amino acids being among the most relevant chiral building blocks. Crystallization of diastereomeric salts as well as kinetic resolutions are common methods to separate racemic mixtures and to end up with enantiopure compounds. However, both procedures are limited to a yield of 50%. Biocatalysts for asymmetric syntheses and dynamic kinetic resolutions have proven to allow for the production of both, D- and L-amino acids with yields often >90% and enantioselectivities >97% ee. At Degussa two different biocatalytic technologies have been established giving access to a wide range of amino acids at technical scale: The first process consists of the hydrolytic dynamic kinetic resolution of 5-monosubstituted hydantoins by use of tailor-made three-enzyme systems. Another process uses an oxidoreductase system with cofactor regeneration for the production of chiral amino acids and alcohols starting from prochiral keto acids and ketones, respectively. |
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Asymmetric Syntheis of α-Amino Acids: Novel Developments and Future Directions
1:00 PM-5:40 PM, Monday, March 26, 2007 McCormick Place Lakeside -- Room E350, Level 3, Oral
Division of Organic Chemistry |