Phosphate → Methyl (R)-(-)-mandelate

Participants

Reaction Steps

A reaction mixture was formed by admixing (i) 50 mg NAD, (ii) 4 ml of 2-propanol and (iii) 5 mmoles of methyl benzoylformate, Compound 4, in a liquid medium containing 1 gm of lyophilized PED alcohol dehydrogenase preparation, 75 ml of 50 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7.1, and 25 ml of hexane. The pH of the reaction was maintained constant by addition of 1N NaOH. The reaction mixture was maintained at room temperature until product formation stopped. When product formation stopped, (R)-methyl mandelate, Compound 4a, was isolated by removal of the hexane layer and extraction of the aqueous layer with ethyl ether (3×75 ml).

Provenance & Evidence