Kinetic Resolution - Practicality of Kinetic Resolution

Practicality of Kinetic Resolution

With the advent of asymmetric catalysis, it is necessary to consider the practicality of utilizing kinetic resolution for the preparation of enantiopure products. Even for a product which can be attained through an asymmetric catalytic or auxiliary-based route, the racemate may be significantly less expensive than the enantiopure material, resulting in heightened cost-effectiveness even with the inherent "loss" of 50% of the material. The following have been preposed as necessary conditions for a practical kinetic resolution:

• inexpensive racemate and catalyst
• no appropriate enantioselective, chiral pool, or classical resolution route is possible
• resolution proceeds selectively at low catalyst loadings
• separation of starting material and product is facile

To date, a number of catalysts for kinetic resolution have been developed that satisfy most, if not all of the above criteria, making them highly practical for use in organic synthesis. The following sections will discuss a number of key examples.