Patent ID: 6887700

Claim:
A process for preparing an enantiopure substituted 1,3-dioxolan-4-one or an enantiopure substituted 1,3-oxathiolan-5-one which comprises bringing a mixture containing a substance selected from the group consisting of a recemic 1,3-dioxolan-4-one and a racemic 1,3-oxathiolan-5-one and an enzyme with hydrolytic activity into contact with an effective amount of a nucleophile to effect the biotransformation; cleaving the dioxolane or oxathiolane ring of one enantiomer selected from the group consisting of the 1,3-dioxolan-4-one ring and the 1,3-oxathiolan-5-one ring by the enzyme with hydrolytic activity; and after the cleaving of one enantiomer has taken place, isolating the uncleaved enantiomer selected from the group consisting of the 1,3-dioxolan-4-one and 1,3-oxathiolane-5-one.