Chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution of allylic alcohols: a highly enantioselective route to acyloin acetates.

Dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of a series of sterically hindered allylic alcohols has been conducted with Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) and ruthenium catalyst 1. The optically pure allylic acetates obtained were subjected to oxidative cleavage to give the corresponding acylated acyloins in high yields without loss of chiral information.