Chemoenzymatic synthesis of (S) and (R)-propranolol and sotalol employing one-pot lipase resolution protocol

Synthesis of both enantiomers of biologically active propranolol and sotalol has been achieved in high optical purity by one-pot reduction of 3 and 7 followed by in situ lipase resolution of the respective chlorohydrins. Pseudomonas cepacia lipase immobilized on ceramic particles (PS-C) provided the chlorohydrin and acetate, which on nucleophilic substitution with isopropyl amine afforded the target amino alcohols in high enantioselectivity under mild reaction conditions.