• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.213-216
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• 1996

Optically active carboxylic acid, D-(-)-$\beta$-hydroxyisobutyric acid {(D)-(-)-HIBA} is a useful chiral starting material for the preparation of enantiomerically pure bioactive compounds which have a chiral methyl carbon center in the molecule such as captopril, $\alpha$-tocopherol, erythromycin A, muscone and so on. (S)-3-Acetoxy-2-methylpropanol can be used as the precursor of (D)-(-)-HIBA, that is, chemical oxidation of the hydroxyl group and subsequent hydrolysis of acyl group in (S)-3-acetoxy-2-methylpropanol affords D-(-)-$\beta$-hydroxyisobutyric acid. (S)-3-Acetoxy-2-methyl-propanol was prepared by lipase-catalyzed asymmetric hydrolysis. In the enzymatic hydrolysis system, lipase AY (Candida rugosa) provided the expected (S)-3-acetoxy-2-methylpropanol in 60% e.e. of the enantiomeric purity under the phosphate buffer and organic co-solvent system.