Chemo-enzymatic preparation of hydroxymethyl ketones

摘要

A series of hydroxymethyl ketones 4a–g were obtained from the corresponding halogenomethyl ketones 2a–g viantheir transformation into acetoxymethyl ketones 3a–g by 18-crown-6 catalysed substitution with NaOAc followednby Novozyme 435 catalysed ethanolysis. This convenient chemo-enzymatic route provides a mild, heavy-metal-freenalternative to the direct α-hydroxylations of methyl ketones 1a–g.