Asymmetric ring-opening of prochiral cyclic acid anhydrides (1) with methanol was effected by a catalytic amount of cinchona alkaloids (2) with an enantiomeric excess of up to 70% and the product was converted into optically active lactones. ... Enzymes such as dehydrogenasesl or hydrolases2 have been widely used in asymmetric induction reactions from symmet- rical molecules having enantiotopic groups. We recently reported a non-enzymic procedure for ...
