Enzymatic synthesis of phosphocarnitine, phosphogabob and fosfomycin.

Phosphocarnitine was conveniently obtained from easily available diethyl 3-chloro-2-oxopropanephosphonates, followed by subsequent reduction, Mucor miehei lipase (IM) mediated resolution, amination and dealkylation. Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) served as an effective biocatalyst in the resolution of several 1- or 2-hydroxyalkanephosphonates. The chlorine atom in different positions on the molecules greatly affected their enantioselectivity. CALB also showed satisfactory enantioselectivity toward those molecules bearing an azido moiety. Both enantiomers of phosphogabob and fosfomycin were also prepared via CALB-mediated resolution as the key step.