The enzyme-mediated enantioselective hydrolysis of water-soluble polymer-supported carboxylates is disclosed. The representative monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (MPEG, av MW 5000)-supported substrate was synthesized by immobilization of (±)-1-phenylethanol onto the modified MPEG (MPEG/NH2) through an carboxylate linker with a succinate spacer. For the screening of the hydrolytic enzymes, the substrate
enantioselective hydrolysis of dicarboxylic acidmonoesters was investigated. The racemic substrates, which were prepared by coupling of the corresponding alcohols with dicarboxylic anhydrides, were enantioselectively hydrolyzed by lipase from Candida antarctica (Novozym 435) in a buffer at 30 °C. The products were easily separated by a simple extraction procedure without laborious column chromatography