Candida rugosa Lipase－catalyzed Kinetic Resolution of Hydroxyalkanephosphonates

An efficient lipase-catalyzedenantioselective hydrolysis of butyryloxyalkanephosphonates in water-equillbrated diisopropyl ether was developed. The relationship between the substrates‘ structure and the reactivity, as well as the enantioselectivlty of this enzymatic transformation was studied. The catalytic preference of crude Candida rugosa lipase toward such molecules was assigned according to modified Mosher‘s method and Xray crystallographic analysis. Optically pure 2-hydroxy-2-arylethanephosphonates, 3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropanephosphonate, and 3, 3, 3-trifluoro-2-hydroxypropanephosphonates were conveniently prepared in this manner.