Patent ID: 8183019

Claim:
A process for preparing (3R,4R)-3-hydroxy-4-hydroxymethylpyrrolidine, the compound of formula (I), or (3S,4S)-3-hydroxy-4-hydroxymethylpyrrolidine, the compound of formula (Ia): comprising the following steps: step (a): enzyme-catalysed enantioselective hydrolysis of a racemic 3,4-trans-disubstituted pyrrolidinone compound of formula (II): where R 1 is benzyl or benzhydryl, each of which may be optionally substituted by halogen, alkyl or alkoxy; and R 2 is aryl or straight or branched chain alkyl or aralkyl, any of which may be optionally substituted by halogen, alkyl or alkoxy; to give either: mixture (i): a 3,4-trans-disubstituted pyrrolidinone compound of formula (III) and unreacted pyrrolidinone compound of formula (IV): or mixture (ii): a 3,4-trans-disubstituted pyrrolidinone compound of formula (IIIa), and unreacted pyrrolidinone compound of formula (IVa): step (b): separation of the compound of formula (III) from the compound of formula (IV) in mixture (i), or separation of the compound of formula (IIIa) from the compound of formula (IVa) in mixture (ii); and step (c): transformation of the compound of formula (III) or the compound of formula (IVa) to the compound of formula (I), or transformation of the compound of formula (IV) or the compound of formula (IIIa) to the compound of formula (Ia).