PURIFICATION OF OPTICALLY ACTIVE GLYCIDOL DERIVATIVE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To purify optically active glycidol derivatives which are useful as raw materials for optically active medicines, especially glycerol derivatives, at a low cost, by recrystallizing the derivatives in an organic solvent, respectively. SOLUTION: This method for purifying a (R)-O-(4-methoxyphenyloxy)glycidol of formula I and a (S)-O-(4-methoxyphenyloxy)glycidol of formula II comprises recrystallizing the low optically pure compound of formula I and the low optically pure compound of formula II in an organic solvent (for example, ethanol- hexane). The compounds of formula I and formula II are preferably obtained by reacting a racemic or low optically pure 1-halogeno-3-(4-methoxyphenyloxy)-2- propanol of formula III (X is a halogen) with vinyl acetate in the presence of a lipase as a catalyst in an organic solvent (for example, an etheric hydrocarbon) to produce the compound of formula IV (Ac is acetyD and the component of formula V and then reacting the compounds with an alkali in an organic solvent, respectively.