Effect of the alkyl chain length of 1,1′-binaphthyl esters in lipase-catalyzed amidation

Lipase-catalyzed amidation of 2-[2-(ethoxycarbonyl)ethyl]-1,1′-binaphthyl [(±)-3] yielded optically active (S)-3 and 2-[2-(2-cyanoethylaminocarbonyl)ethyl]-1,1′-binaphthyl [(R)-6a] with high enantiomeric excess. For these lipase-catalyzed amidations, the optimal alkyl chain length between the binaphthyl ring and the ester group was determined to be an ethylene spacer.