Herein we report a dramatic acceleration of the lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolution of atropisomeric 1,1'-biaryl-2,2'-diols by the addition of sodium carbonate. This result likely originates from the increased nucleophilicity of the phenolic hydroxyl group toward the acyl-enzyme intermediate. Under these conditions, various substituted C 2-symmetric and non-C 2-symmetric binaphthols and biphenols were efficiently resolved with ∼50% conversion in only 13-30 h with excellent enantioselectivity.
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