Chemical Society Reviews 2013-12-21

Recent advances in enzymatic and chemical deracemisation of racemic compounds.

Michał Rachwalski, Niek Vermue, Floris P J T Rutjes

Index: Chem. Soc. Rev. 42(24) , 9268-9282, (2013)

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Abstract

Deracemisation of racemic compounds is still the most important strategy to produce optically pure compounds despite many recent advances in asymmetric synthesis. Especially deracemisation approaches that give rise to single enantiomers are preferred, which can be achieved either by invoking organocatalysts, metal complexes or enzymes - leading to dynamic kinetic resolution - or by applying other deracemisation techniques based on stereoinversion or enantioconvergence. In this tutorial review, we will provide an overview of new, recently developed approaches that lead to the important goal of creating organic compounds of single chirality.