Candida antarctica lipase A and Pseudomonas stutzeri lipase as a pair of stereocomplementary enzymes for the resolution of 1,2-diarylethanols and 1,2-diarylethanamines

Candida antarctica lipase A (CALA) and Pseudomonas stutzeri lipase (PSL) displayed opposite enantioselectivities in the acylation of 1,2-diphenylethanol and 1,2-diphenylethanamine. CALA was (S)-selective while PSL was (R)-selective. In addition, fourteen different 1,2-diarylethanols were tested as the substrates of CALA. It was found that most of them were accepted by CALA with high enantioselectivity. The DKR of five representative substrates by the combination of CALA and a ruthenium-based racemization catalyst provided good yields (82–91%) and acceptable enantiopurities (87–94% ee).