Chemoenzymatic Preparation of Enantiopure Isomers of 4‐Aminochroman‐3‐ol and 1‐Amino‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydronaphthalen‐2‐ol

Enantiomerically pure N ‐protected cis ‐4‐aminochroman‐3‐ol (key precursor in the synthesis of novel HIV second‐generation protease inhibitors), its trans isomer and both cis ‐ and trans ‐1‐amino‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydronaphthalen‐2‐ol, useful chiral catalysts in organic synthesis, have been successfully prepared through a lipase‐catalyzed kinetic acylation of the alcohol moiety, employing as substrates the corresponding N ‐benzyloxycarbonyl‐protected derivatives. Of the biocatalysts tested, Pseudomonas cepacea and Candida antarctica B lipases showed excellent enantioselectivities in the acylation processes depending on the reaction conditions employed. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)