Stereoselectivity-Tailored, Metal-Free Hydrolytic Dynamic Kinetic Resolution of Morita–Baylis–Hillman Acetates Using an Engineered Lipase–Organic Base Cocatalyst

Metal-free enantiocomplementary hydrolytic dynamic kinetic resolution of Morita–Baylis–Hillman (MBH) acetates was developed using triethylamine (TEA) as a racemization catalyst and wild-type or engineered lipase B from Candida antarctica (CALB) as stereoselectivity-determining catalyst, leading to chiral MBH alcohols with tailor-made R or S configurations on an optional basis. In the TEA-WT CALB catalysis system, WT CALB displays excellent S enantioselectivity for a series of MBH acetates tested (up to 96% ee and 98% conversion). Reversal of enantioselectivity in favor of (R)-MBH alcohols (95% ee; 95% conversion) was achieved by generating a focused site-specific mutagenesis library composed of less than 20 variants. Molecular modeling explains the origin of stereoselectivity.