Disclosed is a process for making an .alpha.-hydroxy acid which is essentially all L or all D with respect to the chiral C atom bonded to the carboxy group of said acid which comprises (1) hydrocarboxylating an enol acylate, which has a chiral C atom that is essentially all L or all D, with CO and water or an organic hydroxyl compound, thereby producing a reaction mixture containing diastereomeric .alpha.-acyloxy acids or esters having two chiral centers and having essentially no enantiomeric pairs, (2) separating the diastereomers by conventional physical means and (3) hydrolyzing at least one of said separated diastereomers to make at least the .alpha.-hydroxy acid which is essentially all L or all D with respect to the chiral C atom bonded to the carboxy group of said acid. Also disclosed is a process for making an .alpha.-hydroxy acid which is essentially all L or all D with respect to the chiral C atom bonded to the carboxy group of said acid which comprises (1) hydrocarboxylating an enol acylate, the enol portion of which has a chiral C atom that is essentially all L or all D, with CO and water or an organic hydroxyl compound, thereby producing a reaction mixture containing diastereomeric .alpha.-acyloxy acids or esters having two chiral centers and having essentially no enantiomeric pairs, (2) hydrolyzing the product of (1) to make a diastereomeric mixture containing .alpha.-hydroxy acids, and (3) separating by conventional physical means from the product of (2) at least one .alpha.-hydroxy acid which is essentially all L or all D with respect to the chiral C atom bonded to the carboxy group of said acid.
本发明涉及一种制备基本上全部为L或全部为D的手性C原子与其羧基团结合的α-羟基酸的过程,包括:(1)将具有基本上全部为L或全部为D的手性C原子的烯醇酰化物与CO和
水或有机羟基化合物进行羟羧化反应,从而产生含有二个手性中心且基本上没有对映异构体对的对映异构的α-酰氧基酸或酯的反应混合物,(2)通过传统物理方法分离对映异构体,以及(3)
水解至少分离出其中的一个对映异构体,制备基本上全部为L或全部为D的手性C原子与其羧基团结合的α-羟基酸。本发明还涉及一种制备基本上全部为L或全部为D的手性C原子与其羧基团结合的α-羟基酸的过程,包括:(1)将具有基本上全部为L或全部为D的手性C原子的烯醇酰化物的烯醇部分与CO和
水或有机羟基化合物进行羟羧化反应,从而产生含有二个手性中心且基本上没有对映异构体对的对映异构的α-酰氧基酸或酯的反应混合物,(2)
水解(1)的产物以制备含有α-羟基酸的对映异构体混合物,以及(3)通过传统物理方法从(2)的产物中分离至少一种基本上全部为L或全部为D的手性C原子与其羧基团结合的α-羟基酸。